Rapid determination of 15 chemical drugs illegally added into slimming Chinese patent medicines and health foods by UPLC-MS/MS / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To establish a rapid and accurate method for the determination of 15 chemical drugs which were illegally added into the slimming Chinese patent medicines (CPM) and health foods. Methods: The UPLC-MS/MS method was adopted. The samples were extracted with methanol by ultrasonic processing and separated on a Waters Acquity BEH C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with 0.1% formic acid methanol (A) -0.1% formic acid water (B) as mobile phase by gradient elution (0-3 min, 33%-45% A; 3-5 min, 45%-55% A; 5-7 min, 55%-70% A; 7-9 min, 70%-80% A; 9-10 min, 80%-90% A; 10-11 min, 90%-33% A; 11-13 min, 33% A at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min, and the column temperature was 40℃. A positive-ion (ESI+) source and an MRM mode were used to separate and quantitatively determine 15 chemical drugs. The obtained molecular ions, fragment ions, and retention time for MRM channels were used to identify the 15 kinds of drugs by comparison with those of reference substances. The obtained peak areas were used to determine the accurate contents of chemical drugs in CPM and the health foods. Results: A good resolution of 15 kinds of chemical drugs, including terbutaline hydrochloride, ephedrine hydrochloride, theophylline, caffeine, doxofylline, clenbuterol hydrochloride, tulobuterol hydrochloride, bambuterol hydrochloride, fenfluramine hydrochloride, furosemide, indapamide, phenolphthalein, sibutramine hydrochloride, N-demethylated sibutramine hydrochloride, and hydrochloric acid N,N-dinor sibutraminel, was obtained under this UPLC and MS/MS condition. The limits of qualitation and quantitation were in the range of 0.1-5.0 ng/g and 0.3-15.0 ng/g. The standard addition recoveries were in the range of 91.8%-110.8%. In the 86 batches of samples (including capsules, granules, and other different matrix types) were detected in the 74 batches of added chemicals, the positive rate was 86.0%. Sibutramine hydrochloride (39 batches), furosemide (20 batches), phenolphthalein (23 batches), theophylline (1 batch), and caffeine (15 batches) were checked out in the samples, 22 batches of which two kinds were checked out, one batch of which three kinds were checked out. By contrast, the products which were not clearly marked manufacturer illegally added more seriously. Conclusion: The method is simple, accurate, and highly sensitive, which can be used for the determination of illegally added chemical drugs in slimming CPM and health foods.