Abstract Dr. A. Grippo
Phytoestrogens in Ephedra-containing Dietary Supplements
Dietary herbal supplements, such as MetaboLife, Ripped Fuel, and others are popular weight-loss preparations in the US, but are not under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration. Common to many of these supplements is Ephedra, a plant species also known as ma huang. The active agent of Ephedra, ephedrine, is an indirect-acting sympathomimetic agent with many central nervous system effects, and apparently the cause of drug-drug interactions in consumers. These supplements exist in many forms (from plant material to extracted agents), and may contain compounds unrelated to those expected by the consumer.
Bioflavonoids are ubiquitous to most plants, including those used in herbal dietary supplements, and may be found in the supplements themselves. A number of these compounds, the phytoestrogens, have endocrine disruptive activities that may be important to the health of those consuming herbal supplements, if discovered in physiologically active concentrations.
We propose to analyze the following herbal dietary supplements to determine the concentrations of six bioflavonoids, using two HPLC techniques: Metabolife, Hydroxycut, Xenadrine RFA-1, Ripped Fuel, Ripped Fuel Extreme, Metabolift, Yellow Jacket, Stacker 2, Amp II Pro Drops, Virgin Earth Ultimate, Solaray Ephedra, SciFit Ephedra 1000. If, as expected, bioflavonoids are present, future experiments will include the effects of herbal dietary supplements on reproduction in laboratory animals, and analysis of metals in herbal supplements and their toxicological effects.
Updated 10/31/2005
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