Screening of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in Illicit Dietary Supplements and Counterfeit Drugs Using LC-MS/MS and...

The manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs in the Republic of Korea are an increasing problem. We aimed to develop a rapid and reliable simultaneous analytical method for monitoring the illegal presence of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in foods and drugs. Forty-five AAS compounds were analyzed using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method in accordance with international standards. Liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) has enabled the determination of representative fragment ion patterns. The validated method was applied to 95 real samples, including 11 foods, 40 dietary supplements, and 44 counterfeit drugs. The overall detection rate was 38.9%, with the highest rate observed in counterfeit drugs (81.8%), followed by dietary supplements (2.5%), whereas no AAS were detected in foods. When classified by formulation, injectables showed the highest detection rate (100.0%), followed by liquids (78.6%), tablets (58.3%), powders (20.0%), and capsules (3.3%). Frequently detected compounds included testosterone-17-propionate (0.001-119, 850.0 μg/g), testosterone-17-isocaproate (0.002-1442.7 μg/g), and nandrolone decanoate (0.01-120,023.0 μg/g). Anastrozole and exemestane, which are not currently included as LC-MS/MS target compounds, were also identified through LC-QTOF/MS. Furthermore, LC-QTOF/MS results revealed the presence of nonsteroidal compounds, including phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and weight-loss compounds, indicating potential health risks associated with the combined pharmacological effects of these substances. The analytical method developed in this study can be effectively used for both screening and quantification and offers practical applicability to regulatory monitoring and enhancement of public health protection.