Development of a screening method for dietary supplements illegally adulterated with PDE-5 inhibitors and their analogues by high resolution tandem mass spectrometry

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15782
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 38050:Food sciences-related
• Research Institution: Aichi Prefectural Institute of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Tachi Masahiko 愛知県衛生研究所, 衛生化学部医薬食品研究室, 主任研究員 (60744274)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 液体クロマトグラフィータンデム質量分析 / ホスホジエステラーゼ-5阻害薬 / クラスター分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we have developed a rapid and reliable screening method for PDE-5 inhibitors/analogues using LC-MS/MS with high mass accuracy, followed by hierarchical clustering based on similarity of MS/MS spectra. The MS/MS spectral clustering enabled PDE-5 inhibitors/analogues to group according to their characteristic structures in a dendrogram. Our method has the ability to selectively uncover PDE-5 inhibitor analogues from complex sample matrix and to obtain their structural information.

Free Research Field

分析化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

一部の強壮用健康食品は、違法な混入物として勃起不全の治療に用いられるPDE-5阻害薬やそれらに構造が類似する様々な成分が発見されている。今後も新たな類似体の出現が懸念される。本研究で開発した分析法は、既存のPDE-5阻害薬及び類似体のみならず、新たな類似体に対しても迅速にスクリーニングできる方法であることから、違法な製品の早期発見及び摘発に貢献できると考えられる。