Published:Journal of Chromatographic Science,
ISSN 0021-9665 Volume
46, Number 1, January 2008, pp. 61-67
Determination of Caffeine and Sympathomimetic
Alkaloids in Weight Loss Supplements by High-Performance Liquid
Chromatography
Ronald L. Evans and Paul H. Siitonen
National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration,
3900 NCTR Road, Division of Biochemical Toxicology, Jefferson,
AR 72079
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography
utilizing photodiode array detection is used for the simultaneous
determination of caffeine and nine alkaloids from Citrus aurantium
(CA) and ephedra (EA) contained in dietary weight loss products.
Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban of EA, manufacturers
have substituted CA in their weight loss formulations, usually
combined with high levels of caffeine. The alkaloids contained
in CA have some physiological effects similar to those of the
EA alkaloids and are, therefore, cause for concern. Caffeine
has been shown to potentiate the toxicity of the EA alkaloids.
Recently, a federal judge overturned the absolute ban and allowed
marketing of low levels (< 10 mg/day) of total EA alkaloids.
To support an absolute ban, the FDA is now compelled to perform
dose-dependent toxicology studies to determine the toxic dose(s)
of EA. The toxicity of the CA compounds is largely unknown, especially
in combination with caffeine. The described method enables quantitation
over a wide range of product formulations. Recoveries range from
91% to 100% from a variety of fortified plant matrices.
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