UPLC-MS/MS-Based Target Screening of 90 Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors in 5 Dietary Supplements

The aim of individuals consuming health supplements is to attain a robust state through nutritional regulation. However, some unscrupulous manufacturers, motivated by profit, fraudulently incorporate drugs or unauthorized components with therapeutic effects into the product for instant product performance enhancement. The long-term use of these products may inadvertently inflict harm on human health and fail to promote nutritive healthcare. The illegal inclusion of these substances is prevalent in kidney-tonifying and sexuality-enhancing products. Developing effective analytical methods to identify these products and screen for illegal added ingredients can effectively prevent such products from reaching and remaining on the market. A target screening method for the detection and quantification of 90 phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5is) in 5 kinds of health products was developed and validated. The type of dietary supplements varied from tablets, capsules, and protein powder to wine and beverages. Sample preparation was completed with a one-step liquid phase extraction. The screening process of 90 PDE-5is was done efficiently within 25 min by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) using the dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) technique. The LODs of 90 PDE-5is were detected at levels ranging from 25 to 85 ng/g or ng/mL. This novel targeting methodology was effective and can be applied to routine market supervision. Among 286 batches of samples, 8 batches were found to be positive. Three kinds of PDE-5is were first detected in healthy products. The screening method demonstrated herein will be a promising and powerful tool for rapid screening of PDE-5is.