DETECTION OF SILDENAFIL AND TADALAFIL IN HERBAL HONEY MIXTURES IN LIBYAN MARKET

Abstract

The study focuses on the analysis of herbal honey mixtures (HHMs) available in the
Libyan market. Due to the illegal adulteration of HHMs, there have been concerns
regarding their harmful pharmacological effects on consumers. The specific
compounds of interest in this study are sildenafil (SLD) and tadalafil (TAD), which are
commonly used as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of
erectile dysfunction (ED).
To detect the presence of SLD and TAD in the HHMs, the researchers employed High
Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) as the analytical
method. The mobile phase used in the analysis consisted of a gradient elution system
comprising 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile (ACN). The
detection wavelength was set at 290 nm.
Out of the seven samples analysed, two were found to contain TAD, confirming the
presence of this compound in the tested HHMs. This finding highlights the issue of
adulteration and the need for quality control measures to ensure the safety and efficacy
of herbal products in the market.