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Rapid on-site TLC–SERS detection of four antidiabetes drugs used as adulterants in botanical dietary supplements

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Abstract

A novel facile method has been established for rapid on-site detection of antidiabetes chemicals used to adulterate botanical dietary supplements (BDS) for diabetes. Analytes and components of pharmaceutical matrices were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) then surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used for qualitative identification of trace substances on the HPTLC plate. Optimization and standardization of the experimental conditions, for example the method used for preparation of silver colloids, the mobile phase, and the concentration of colloidal silver, resulted in a very robust and highly sensitive method which enabled successful detection when the amount of adulteration was as low as 0.001 % (w/w). The method was also highly selective, enabling successful identification of some chemicals in extremely complex herbal matrices. The established TLC–SERS method was used for analysis of real BDS used to treat diabetes, and the results obtained were verified by liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS). The study showed that TLC–SERS could be used for effective separation and detection of four chemicals used to adulterate BDS, and would have good prospects for on-site qualitative screening of BDS for adulterants.

Experimental procedure of TLC-SERS method

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (grant no. 2012YQ180132) and Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission (grant no. 11431922502). The authors wish to thank Mr Zhang Zhonghu from the Shandong Institute for Food and Drug Control for kindly providing all the real BDS samples. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Qingxia Zhu, Yongbing Cao, Yingying Cao, Yifeng Chai & Feng Lu

  2. School of Pharmacy, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1 Huatuo Road, Fuzhou, 350108, China

    Qingxia Zhu & Feng Lu

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  1. Qingxia Zhu
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  2. Yongbing Cao
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  3. Yingying Cao
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  4. Yifeng Chai
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  5. Feng Lu
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Correspondence to Feng Lu.

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Zhu, Q., Cao, Y., Cao, Y. et al. Rapid on-site TLC–SERS detection of four antidiabetes drugs used as adulterants in botanical dietary supplements. Anal Bioanal Chem 406, 1877–1884 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-013-7605-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-013-7605-7

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