QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF HERBAL APHRODISIAC PRODUCTS; ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DETECTION OF SILDENAFIL AND TADALAFIL AS UNDECLARED ADULTERANTS

Abstract

The use of herbal preparations for the treatment of various ailments, including erectile dysfunction is on the increase
globally. However, there is fear about the quality and purity of these products as most of them are not certified by
the relevant agencies. The aim of this study is to conduct elemental analysis and detect the presence of sildenafil
and/or tadalafil as undeclared adulterants in 22 herbal aphrodisiac products. Samples were processed and digested
using nitric acid-hydrochloric acid (3:1). Digested samples were analyzed for the presence of lead, nickel, cobalt,
manganese, zinc and iron using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Also, samples were macerated using methanol
filtered and the filtrate was analyzed for the presence of sildenafil and tadalafil as undeclared adulterants using thin-
layer chromatography. Iron (Fe) (0.26 - 281.34 μg/g), Zinc (Zn) (1.10 - 24.44 μg/g), Manganese (Mn) (7.52 - 501.65
μg/g) and Lead (Pb) (0.00 - 10.55 μg/g) were detected in 91, 59, 73 and 27 % respectively of the samples. Only one
sample has Pb above the permissible limit of 10 ppm. Sildenafil was detected in 14% of the herbal aphrodisiac
samples screened, while tadalafil was not detected in the samples. The samples are of poor quality as some are
adulterated with sildenafil