Determination of 16 Hydroxyanthracene Derivatives in Food Supplements Using LC-MS/MS: Method Development and Application.

Hydroxyanthracene derivatives (HADs) are plant substances produced by a variety of plant species, including different , , and species and These plants are often used in food supplements to improve bowel function. However, recently, the European Commission prohibited a number of HADs due to toxicological concerns. These HADs included aloin (aloin A and aloin B), aloe-emodin, emodin, and danthron.

The Emergence of a Novel Synthetic Nicotine Analog 6-Methyl Nicotine (6-MN) in Proclaimed Tobacco- and Nicotine-Free Pouches Available in Europe.

A new nicotine delivery system in the form of tobacco-free nicotine pouches was introduced in Europe in 2019. These nicotine bags did not fall under the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) II, which brought forward regulatory requirements for both cigarettes, related products, and e-liquids. As these pouches did not fall under the scope of the TPD, it was up to the member states to decide which action to be taken if any.

Evaluating MIR and NIR Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Analysis for Detection and Quantification of Additives in Tobacco Products.

The detection and quantification of additives in tobacco products are critical for ensuring consumer safety and compliance with regulatory standards. Traditional analytical techniques, like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and others, although effective, suffer from drawbacks, including complex sample preparation, high costs, lengthy analysis times, and the requirement for skilled operators. This study addresses these challenges by evaluating the efficacy of mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy and near-IR (NIR) spectroscopy, coupled with multivariate analysis, as potential solutions for the detection and quantification of additives in tobacco products.

Development and validation of a ddPCR assay to detect and quantify tobacco DNA in smoke and smokeless tobacco and tobacco-free products.

The last decade, smoke and smokeless products claiming to be tobacco-free, including herbal cigarettes and herbal shisha, became available on the European market and gained popularity. This study proposes a new digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) method, designed based on a previously developed real-time PCR (qPCR) method being currently used by the U.S.

Quality Control and Safety Assessment of Online-Purchased Food Supplements Containing Red Yeast Rice (RYR).

Dietary supplements containing red yeast rice (RYR), a fermentation product of the fungus grown on white rice, remain popular in Europe as proclaimed cholesterol-lowering aids. The cholesterol-lowering effects are due to the occurrence of monacolin K, which is often present as a mixture of monacolin K lactone (MK) and as monacolin K hydroxy acid (MKA). MK is structurally similar to the cholesterol-lowering medicine lovastatin.

Substandard and falsified ivermectin tablets obtained for self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic as a source of potential harm.

In 2019, a global viral pandemic, due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, broke out. Soon after, the search for a vaccine and/or antiviral medicine began. One of the candidate antiviral medicines tested was ivermectin.

The analysis of cannabinoids in e-cigarette liquids using LC-HRAM-MS and LC-UV.

The use of cannabidiol or CBD products has skyrocketed in the last five years due to the alleged therapeutic benefits, a low potential for abuse and lack of the typical psychoactive effects associated with the use of cannabis products containing high levels of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC). In Belgium, CBD-containing e-liquids with a total THC content lower than 0.2% (w/w) are currently legal.

Pesticides, trace elements and pharmaceuticals in tea samples available in Belgian retail shops and the risk associated upon acute and chronic exposure.

Over the last decade, the consumption of tea and herbal tea has gained more and more popularity across the globe, but the potential presence of chemical contaminants (e.g. pesticides, trace elements, synthetic drugs) may raise health concerns.

Sorting out the plants responsible for a contamination with pyrrolizidine alkaloids in spice seeds by means of LC-MS/MS and DNA barcoding: Proof of principle with cumin and anise spice seeds.

High value commodities such as spices suffer from occasional contaminations of both chemical and biological origin. Consequently, quality control and safety monitoring has become a pressing issue for the spice industry. Two recent independent studies showed that at least one third of the analyzed cumin and green anise spice seeds samples surpassed the by the European Union recently established threshold value for toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their corresponding N-oxides (PANOs).

Regulation of Neurotoxin Expression by Culture Conditions.

Background: Ensuring consistency of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) production by could help to ensure consistent product quality in tetanus vaccine manufacturing, ultimately contributing to reduced animal testing. The aim of this study was to identify RNA signatures related to consistent TeNT production using standard and non-standard culture conditions.

Methods: We applied RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to study gene expression in small-scale batches under several culture conditions.

Development and validation of a targeted LC-MS/MS quantitation method to monitor cell culture expression of tetanus neurotoxin during vaccine production.

The tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) is one of the most toxic proteins known to man, which prior to the use of the vaccine against the TeNT producing bacteria Clostridium tetani, resulted in a 20% mortality rate upon infection. The clinical detrimental effects of tetanus have decreased immensely since the introduction of global vaccination programs, which depend on sustainable vaccine production. One of the major critical points in the manufacturing of these vaccines is the stable and reproducible production of high levels of toxin by the bacterial seed strains.

Analytical characterization of "etonitazepyne," a new pyrrolidinyl-containing 2-benzylbenzimidazole opioid sold online.

This paper reports on the identification and full chemical characterization of the substance colloquially called "etonitazepyne" or "N-pyrrolidino etonitazene" (2-(4-ethoxybenzyl)-5-nitro-1-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole), a potent NPS opioid of the 5-nitrobenzimidazole class. Identification of etonitazepyne was performed, on a sample purchased during routine monitoring of the drug market, using GC-MS, HRAM LC-MS/MS, H NMR, and FTIR. The chromatographic data, together with the FTIR data, indicated the presence of a highly pure compound and already indicated a benzimidazole structure.

Targeted LC-MS/MS combined with multilocus DNA metabarcoding as a combinatory approach to determine the amount and the source of pyrrolizidine alkaloids contamination in popular cooking herbs, seeds, spices and leafy vegetables.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their corresponding N-oxides (PANOs) are natural protoxins biosynthesised by many plant species and are responsible for occasional fatal intoxication outbreaks due to the consumption of contaminated food. However, only in rare cases has the origin of the contamination been determined. Although their presence has been studied in many matrices, occurrence data on popular widely used cooking herbs, seeds, spices and leafy vegetables is very scarce.

Nine prohibited stimulants found in sports and weight loss supplements: deterenol, phenpromethamine (Vonedrine), oxilofrine, octodrine, beta-methylphenylethylamine (BMPEA), 1,3-dimethylamylamine (1,3-DMAA), 1,4-dimethylamylamine (1,4-DMAA), 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (1,3-DMBA) and higenamine.

Background: Weight loss and sports supplements containing deterenol have been associated with serious adverse events including cardiac arrest.

Objective: To determine the presence and quantity of experimental stimulants in dietary supplements labeled as containing deterenol sold in the United States.

Methods: Dietary supplements available for sale in the US and labeled as containing deterenol or one of its synonyms (e.

The occurrence of non-anatomical therapeutic chemical-international nonproprietary name molecules in suspected illegal or illegally traded health products in Europe: A retrospective and prospective study.

The General European Official Medicines Control Laboratory (OMCL) Network (GEON), co-ordinated by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), regularly organises market surveillance studies on specific categories of suspected illegal or illegally traded products. These studies are generally based on a combination of retrospective and prospective data collection over a defined period of time. This paper reports the results of the most recent study in this context with the focus on health products containing non-Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical-International Nonproprietary Name (ATC-INN) molecules.

Analysis of Ingredients of Supplements in the National Institutes of Health Supplement Database Marketed as Containing a Novel Alternative to Anabolic Steroids.

This case series analyzes whether supplements categorized as containing novel ingredients in the National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Label Database are accurately labeled.

Impact of the Revised European Tobacco Product Directive on the Quality of E-cigarette Refill Liquids in Belgium.

Introduction: Since its introduction, the e-cigarette has become a commonly used consumer product. In this study, we investigate whether regulatory changes had an impact on the quality of refill liquids (e-liquids) available on the Belgian market through analysis of their chemical composition. Hence, the nicotine concentration accuracy was investigated in samples before, during and after the implementation of the revised Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) as an indicator of good manufacturing practices.

The occurrence of putative cognitive enhancing research peptides in seized pharmaceutical preparations: An incentive for controlling agencies to prepare for future encounters of the kind.

At the end of 2017 and 2018 two different unknown suspicious preparations were encountered and were subjected to a plethora of different analyses in order to identify, if present, any bioactive compound. It turned out that these samples contained the assumedly cognitive enhancing research peptides Selank and Semax, which, to our knowledge, have not completed any clinical trials. Moreover, an online search, excluding the dark web, demonstrated that these kinds of nootropic research peptides are freely available either as lyophilized powder for injection purposes or are present in nasal sprays.

Development and validation of chromatographic methods for screening and subsequent quantification of suspected illegal antimicrobial drugs encountered on the Belgian market.

Estimations, made by the World Health Organization (WHO), state that 10% of the medical products in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified (SF). Among them, antibiotics and antimalarials are the most commonly reported since 2013. Besides the fact that falsification is a crime, the worldwide use of poor quality antimicrobials could result in treatment failures, stronger antimicrobial resistance and even the promotion of the emergence of superbugs.

Impurity profiling of the most frequently encountered falsified polypeptide drugs on the Belgian market.

Advances in biotechnology and the chemical synthesis of peptides have made biopharmaceuticals and synthetic peptide drugs viable pharmaceutical compounds today and an important source for tomorrow's drugs and therapies. Unfortunately, also falsifications and counterfeit versions of these powerful and promising drugs are offered illegally via the internet. Since these falsified preparations are produced outside the legally required quality systems, end-users have no guarantee regarding the efficacy and safety of these products.

A high crosslinking grade of hyaluronic acid found in a dermal filler causing adverse effects.

Facial treatments with dermal fillers for medical or esthetic purposes occasionally give rise to adverse effects, ranging from temporary effects such as reddening of the skin, to long term effects such as hardening of tissue. There appears to be a relationship between the lifetime of the filler product and the risk for adverse effects. The lifetime of hyaluronic acid-based fillers is dependent on the presence and amount of crosslinking agents such as 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE).