Planta Medica (2018) DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-100042.
Abstract
As the
population in the industrialized world develops preference for what is
perceived as a natural and holistic way of disease treatment, the popularity
and the number of food supplements on the market, including herbal ones, is
experiencing an unprecedented rise. However, unlike herbal medicinal products,
intended for treating or preventing disease, current legislation classifies
food supplements as products intended for achieving nutritional or
physiological effect and to supplement the normal diet. Accordingly, most food
supplements are not to be associated with specific health claims. However,
either due to the subtle suggestions by the producers or the wishful thinking
of the consumers, certain pharmacological effects from food supplements are
often expected. Medicinal plants included in food supplements usually do not
produce dramatic and instant pharmacological effects. Therefore, in order to
meet the expectation of their customers, some producers have turned to the
illicit and dangerous practice of adulterating their products with synthetic
adulterants, including naturally occurring molecules, having the desired
activity. Such practice is prevalent in, although not limited to, food
supplements intended for use as weight-loss aids, as well as for sport
performance and libido enhancement. The review is focusing on naturally
occurring alkaloids, phenylethanolamines, and their semi-synthetic derivatives
in food supplements in the European Union as reported by the Rapid Alert System
for Food and Feed. Their desired and undesired pharmacological effects, as well
as the methods for their detection and quantification in food supplements, will
be reviewed.
Key words: adulterant,
alkaloid, food supplement, herbal, phenylethanolamine
 |
| https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0044-100042 |
