ABSTRACT
Adulteration of botanical food supplements with undeclared synthetic drugs is a common problem. One of the most affected product groups are the slimming agents. There are no analytical protocols for the detection of synthetic adulterants from these products. The present study aimed at the development of a multistep analytical method for the quick and reliable determination of sibutramine, one of the most common adulterants among botanical food supplements. The extract of a sibutramine-containing slimming formula was analysed by colour tests, TLC, HPLC-DAD, MS and NMR. The multistep method proposed by the authors allows the quick identification of sibutramine in counterfeit samples in laboratories with different instrumentation.
Subject(s)
Appetite Depressants/analysis , Cyclobutanes/analysis , Dietary Supplements/analysis , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Color , Drug Contamination , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization , Spectrophotometry, UltravioletABSTRACT
Six new ecdysteroids have been isolated from SERRATULA TINCTORIA; these are: the 2,22- and 3,22-diacetates of 20-hydroxyecdysone, 5beta-hydroxyrubrosterone, 3-epi-poststerone, 3-epi-rubrosterone, and 22-oxo-20-hydroxyecdysone. These minor compounds were found together with the known ecdysteroids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, its 2-, 3-, and 22-monoacetates, rubrosterone, poststerone, polypodine B (5beta,20-dihydroxyecdysone), pterosterone (25-deoxy-20,24-dihydroxyecdysone), and makisterone C (24-ethyl-20-hydroxyecdysone). All these ecdysteroids were isolated by a combination of several chromatographic techniques (liquid chromatography on alumina, DCCC, and HPLC), then identified using standard mass spectrometric and 2D (1)H-NMR techniques.
ABSTRACT
The roots of RUTA GRAVEOLENS L. afforded the coumarin derivative, 7-methoxy-6-(5,8-dioxo-7-methoxy-3-methyl-5,8-dihydronaphthalen-1-yl)-chromen-2-one, named naphthoherniarin. The structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods.
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a review of literature on the chemical composition of khat (Catha edulis Forsk., Celastraceae). The effect of chewing fresh khat could not be explained satisfactorily by the action of d-norpseudoephedrine which was, for a long time, believed to be the only stimulant in khat. A comprehensive study on the chemical composition of khat was undertaken at the United Nations narcotics Laboratory with the aim of isolating and characterizing the principles of the fresh plant active on the central nervous system. This work resulted in the detection and isolation of cathinone, a phenylalkylamine characterized as (-)-alpha-aminopropiophenone. It is the main phenylalkylamine component of fresh khat, and pharmacological studies indicate that it may be the compound responsible for the characteristic stimulant activity and abuse potential of the plant. Some of its "decomposition" or transformation products, such as norpseudoephedrine, norephedrine, 3,6-dimethyl-2,5-diphenylpyrazine, and 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione, have also been isolated and characterized.