Determination of sibutramine content in food supplements by HPLC

U današnje vrijeme znatno su rašireni dodaci prehrani sa svrhom pomaganja mršavljenju. Djelovanje takvih suplemenata se temelji na laţnom osjećaju sitosti. Djelatna tvar u lijekovima za mršavljenje je sibutramin koji djeluje na mehanizam ponovne resorpcije serotonina i norepinefrina. Sibutramin je prema strukturi sliĉan amfetaminima i stoga spada u strogo kontrolirane djelatne tvari. Unazad 15-tak godina pojavio se veliki broj sluĉajeva srĉanih udara i moţdane kapi osoba koje su uzimale lijekove ĉija je djelatna tvar sibutramin. Nakon provedenih istraţivanja Europska agencija za lijekove (EMA) je obustavila distribuciju lijeka po Europi. Ubrzo nakon povlaĉenja lijekova s trţišta sibutramin se pojavio u raznim dodacima prehrani poput zelene kave, ĉajeva za mršavljenje i sl. koji su deklarirani kao prirodni proizvodi. Krivotvorenje lijekova i dodataka prehrani je sve veći globalni problem koji moţe rezultirati narušavanjem sigurnosti i zdravlja pacijenata. Navedeno istraţivanje provedeno je identifikacijom i odreĊivanjem sadrţaja sibutramina u dodacima prehrani s hrvatskog trţišta tehnikom tekućinske kromatografije. Poznato je da uzimanje 10 mg sibutramina dnevno dovodi do znaĉajnih nuspojava poput povećanog krvnog tlaka, povećanog broja otkucaja srca, srĉanog i moţdanog udara. Ispitano je 8 uzoraka dodataka prehrani za pomoć pri mršavljenju prikupljenih na hrvatskom trţištu. Niti jedan od ispitanih uzoraka nije pokazao pozitivne rezultate na sibutramin.Nowadays, dietary supplements whose purpose is to reduce body weight are considerably widespread. The action of such supplements is based on a false sense of satiety. The active drug for weight loss is sibutramine that acts on the mechanism of re-absorption of serotonin and norepinephrine. Sibutramine, according to a structure similar to amphetamines, therefore belongs to strictly controlled substances. In the last 15 years, a large number of cases of heart attacks and brain drops occurred in people who consumed drugs whose active substance is sibutramine. After the research has been carried out, the European Medicines Agency has suspended the distribution of drugs across Europe. Soon after the withdrawal of the drugs from the market, substantial concentrations of sibutramine were found in various dietary supplements such as green coffee, weight loss teas, etc., declared as natural products. Counterfeiting of medicines and food supplements is an increasing global problem that can result in disruption of patient safety and health. This research will be conducted by identification and content determination of sibutramine in dietary supplements from the Croatian market by liquid chromatography technique(HPLC). It is well known that consuming 10 mg of sibutramine daily leads to significant side effects such as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, heart attack and stroke. Eight samples of dietary supplements collected on the Croatian market were tested and none of the respondents gave positive results on sibutramine