Development and Validation of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for Identification and Quantification of Phytoecdysteroids Ecdysterone and Turkesterone in Dietary Supplements

Abstract

Phytoecdysteroids are a group of naturally occurring ecdysteroid hormones found in certain plant families and used for centuries for their adaptogenic, tonifying, and antioxidant properties. Ecdysterone and turkesterone are the dominant phytoecdysteroids found in the plant species Rhaponticum carthamoides Willd., Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B.Clarke and Ajuga turkestanica (Regel) Briq., and have been recognized for their adaptogenic potential and ability to enhance physical performance. However, over the past few years, supplementation with ecdysterone by professional athletes has raised some concerns about its safety and quality, leading to its inclusion in the World Anti-Doping Agency monitoring program. This study proposes a simple and reliable method for quality control of ecdysterone- and turkesterone-containing products using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The HPLC method is based on reversed-phase chromatography and gradient elution to achieve a superior separation of phytoecdysteroids. The method has been shown to qualify both phytoecdysteroids at low concentrations such as 10.98 μg/mL for ecdysterone and 11.43 μg/mL for turkesterone. This method could be successfully used in research programs and routine quality control of dietary supplements to ensure their safety in professional athletes’ nutrition.