Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies
Dietary supplements are widely consumed in the EU and the USA. Based on their similarity to pharmaceuticals, consumers mistakenly believe that dietary supplements have also been approved for safety and efficacy. However, in the absence of mandatory testing, data on supplement quality is scarce. Thus...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceuticals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/4/448 |
| _version_ | 1797434266561282048 |
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| author | Krzysztof Adam Stępień Joanna Giebułtowicz |
| author_facet | Krzysztof Adam Stępień Joanna Giebułtowicz |
| author_sort | Krzysztof Adam Stępień |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dietary supplements are widely consumed in the EU and the USA. Based on their similarity to pharmaceuticals, consumers mistakenly believe that dietary supplements have also been approved for safety and efficacy. However, in the absence of mandatory testing, data on supplement quality is scarce. Thus, we applied liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyse the quality of dietary supplements containing tryptophan (Trp). We examined 22 supplements in tablets or capsules, produced in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Poland. Trp release, crucial for bioavailability and efficiency, was assessed. Additionally, we performed a qualitative analysis of the main ingredient and screened for contaminants. Among the contaminants, we detected Trp’s metabolites, condensation products of Trp and carbonyl compounds, Trp degradation products, degradation products of kynurenine, and other contaminants such as glucosamine and melatonin. The main ingredient content was in the range of 55–100% in capsules and 69–87% in tablets. Surprisingly, almost no Trp release was noted from some supplements. Our study confirms the need to advance research on supplements. We believe that the high-quality analysis of supplements based on reliable analytical techniques will be an important contribution to the discussion on the regulatory framework of these products. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:30:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0bc1d116d14c4b8c82e05e1a9da042ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8247 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:30:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceuticals |
| spelling | doaj.art-0bc1d116d14c4b8c82e05e1a9da042ca2023-12-01T21:18:08ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472022-04-0115444810.3390/ph15040448Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted StudiesKrzysztof Adam Stępień0Joanna Giebułtowicz1Department of Bioanalysis and Drugs Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha, 02-097 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Bioanalysis and Drugs Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, 1 Banacha, 02-097 Warsaw, PolandDietary supplements are widely consumed in the EU and the USA. Based on their similarity to pharmaceuticals, consumers mistakenly believe that dietary supplements have also been approved for safety and efficacy. However, in the absence of mandatory testing, data on supplement quality is scarce. Thus, we applied liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyse the quality of dietary supplements containing tryptophan (Trp). We examined 22 supplements in tablets or capsules, produced in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Czech Republic, and Poland. Trp release, crucial for bioavailability and efficiency, was assessed. Additionally, we performed a qualitative analysis of the main ingredient and screened for contaminants. Among the contaminants, we detected Trp’s metabolites, condensation products of Trp and carbonyl compounds, Trp degradation products, degradation products of kynurenine, and other contaminants such as glucosamine and melatonin. The main ingredient content was in the range of 55–100% in capsules and 69–87% in tablets. Surprisingly, almost no Trp release was noted from some supplements. Our study confirms the need to advance research on supplements. We believe that the high-quality analysis of supplements based on reliable analytical techniques will be an important contribution to the discussion on the regulatory framework of these products.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/4/448dietary supplementfood supplement analysisLC-MS/MSrelease testquality controlfood composition |
| spellingShingle | Krzysztof Adam Stępień Joanna Giebułtowicz Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies Pharmaceuticals dietary supplement food supplement analysis LC-MS/MS release test quality control food composition |
| title | Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies |
| title_full | Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies |
| title_fullStr | Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies |
| title_short | Application of Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry in Quality Assessment of Dietary Supplements—A Case Study of Tryptophan Supplements: Release Assay, Targeted and Untargeted Studies |
| title_sort | application of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in quality assessment of dietary supplements a case study of tryptophan supplements release assay targeted and untargeted studies |
| topic | dietary supplement food supplement analysis LC-MS/MS release test quality control food composition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/15/4/448 |
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