Determination of selected trace elements in herbs and their infusions

The following macro- and microelements were determined in the leaf of peppermint (Mentha piperitae folium) and nettle (Urticae folium) (as tea bags) and in their infusions: As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, 1, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn. The determinations were performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). From all the determined microelements, the highest content found was that of iron, 244 and 107 mg/kg in the leaf of peppermint and nettle, respectively. However, the lowest content found was that of cobalt, 0.10 and 0,08 mg/kg for the leaf of mint and nettle, respectively. The most readily water eluting elements were strontium, selenium and iodine, the most difficult ones - barium and iron. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Determination of selected microelements in polish herbs and their infusions

Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in birch leaves (Folium Betulae), dandelion roots (Radix Taraxacae), hawthorn blossom (Inflorescentia Crataegi) and their infusions by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after microwave digestion of plant samples. Infusions were made from herbs according to prescription for patients, provided by the producer of medicine on the package. The results obtained were compared with daily requirements for each element. Results show high content of cadmium in the medicinal plants analyzed. The highest level in infusions was observed for Ni and Zn (over 90% of the total element concentration for Ni and in most cases over 50% for Zn), and the lowest for Cd and Pb. The calculated daily intake of majority of the analyzed elements was very low (under 1% of daily requirements)

Counterfeit phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors – growing safety risks for public health

Sfałszowane leki, wyroby medyczne i suplementy diety stanowią narastający i bardzo poważny problem dla zdrowia publicznego na świecie. W Europie w ostatniej dekadzie związany jest on przede wszystkim z rejestracją inhibitorów fosfodiesterazy typu 5 (PDE-5) stosowanych na dysfunkcję erekcji. Do grupy tej należą Viagra, Levitra i Cialis. Ocenia się, że ok. 2,5 min mężczyzn w Europie narażonych jest na sfałszowane produkty zawierające sildenafil, tyle samo co kupujących go w legalnej sieci dystrybucji. Zgodnie z deklaracjami Rady Europy fałszowanie produktów leczniczych i suplementów diety; na każdym etapie, od ich wytwarzania do podawania pacjentom, jest poważnym przestępstwem kryminalnym, które zagraża ludzkiemu życiu. Powoduje też zachwianie wiarygodności narodowych systemów ochrony zdrowia i nie może być traktowane jedynie jako naruszanie praw własności intelektualnej. W Polsce problem monitorowany jest przez Narodowy Instytut Leków, wykonujący badania skriningowe nielegalnych i sfałszowanych produktów metodami tandemowej spektrometrii mas i rentgenowskiej dyfrakcji proszkowej.Counterfeit drugs, medical devises and dietary supplements are inherently dangerous and a growing problem. In Europe the growth of the counterfeit medication market is attributable in part to registration of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5) used for the erectile dysfunction. Viagra, Levitra and Cialis belong to this group. It has been estimated that up to 2.5 million men in Europe are exposed to an illicit sildenafil, suggesting that there may be as many illegal as legal users of sildenafil. In Europe a strong trend is observed towards increasingly professional counterfeits and imitations of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, with regard to the appearance of tablets, capsules and packaging. The professional presentation will deceive potential consumers into assuming these products are legal, efficacious and safe. Globally, increased obstacles for counterfeiters are necessary to combat pharmaceutical counterfeiting, including fines and penalties. The worldwide nature of the counterfeit problem requires proper coordination between countries to ensure an adequate enforcement. We described the usefulness of the time-of-flight mass spectrometry with the electrospray ionization (LC-ESI-MS-TOF) and the X-ray powder diffraction method (XRPD) for PDE-5 counterfeit screening from the Polish illegal market

Determination of chromium and selected elements in multimineral and multivitamin preparations and in pharmaceutical raw material

The content of elements in pharmaceutical preparations is one of the indispensable factors of the evaluation of their quality. In the present work, the following macro- and microelements Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, Se and Zn were determined in multimineral and multivitamin preparations and in pharmaceutical raw material. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) were used throughout the study. The examined samples were dissolved in a high-pressure microwave system using concentrated nitric acid. The effect of the carbon residue in the digest solution on the determination result was eliminated by introducing an equation correcting the ArC+ interference with Cr-52. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved