Determination of ethanol in dietetic supplements syrups type

Abstract

Dietary supplements are intended to supplement normal nutrition and they are concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other substances with nutritional and physiological effects. Because of large use of dietary supplements, which often contain ethanol, we have to educate health workers, as well as consumers in this area, and hope that the use of dietary supplements will become safe, controlled and rational. Ethanol is used for extraction, and it is also important as a stabilizer in a significant number of dietary products in the form of syrup. Because of that, a lot of dietary products contain ethanol, and often it is not declared. One more problem is the fact that users who read the declaration cannot conclude that ethanol is present in these products. Also, some of these syrups can be ordered through the internet without information of percentage of ethanol, which is worrying. Besides that, some syrup contains concentrations of ethanol in the amount that is the same as is in spirit drinks. We used liquid chromatography with a refractometer detector and carbohydrate column, temperature 90•C, for the detection of ethanol in a dietary supplements syrup-type between 2007 to 2016. Then we ordered concentration of ethanol by external standard method. Content of ethanol was from <0,05% to 28,35%. We analyzed 76 syrups and 67% of them did not have ethanol on a declaration. 8% of syrups with ethanol declaration did not have the same amount of ethanol as remarked on the declaration. Also, 66% of all tested syrups had alcohol higher than 1,2% [12]. Syrups are traditionally used in our country, and often used in combination with some drugs, and that can lead to different adverse reaction.