Acceptable Limits Research Articles

Analytical and clinical validation of an LC-MS/MS method for carbamazepine, lamotrigine and levetiracetam in dried blood spots

ObjectivesTherapeutic drug monitoring is performed routinely in patients on anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) for optimisation and individualisation of therapy. The dried blood spot (DBS) sampling technique is a suitable, more patient-friendly...

Evaluation of hydrological models at gauged and ungauged basins using machine learning-based limits-of-acceptability and hydrological signatures

Hydrological models are evaluated by comparisons with observed hydrological quantities such as streamflow. A model evaluation procedure should account for dominantly epistemic errors in hydrological data such as model input precipitation and streamflow and avoid type-2 errors (rejecting a good model). This study uses quantile random forest (QRF) to develop limits-of-acceptability (LoA) over streamflows that account for uncertainties in precipitation and streamflow values. A significant advantage of this method is that it can be used to evaluate models even at ungauged basins. This method was used to evaluate a hydrological model –Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) – over the St. Joseph River Watershed (SJRW) for both gauged and hypothetical ungauged scenarios. QRF defined wide LoAs that yielded a large number of models as behavioral, suggesting the need for additional measures to develop a more discriminating inference procedure. The paper discusses why the LoAs defined by QRF were wide, along with some ways to define more discriminating LoAs. To further constrain the model, five streamflow-based signatures (i.e., autocorrelation function, Hurst exponent, baseflow index, flow duration curve, and long-term runoff coefficient) were used. The combination of LoAs over streamflow and streamflow-based signatures helped constrain the set of behavioral models in both the gauged and the ungauged scenarios. Among the signatures used in this study, the Hurst exponent and baseflow index were the most useful ones. All the 1-million models evaluated in this study were eventually rejected as unfit-for-purpose.

Synthesis and in-silico Studies of 4-phenyl thiazol-2-amine Derivatives as Putative Anti-breast Cancer Agents.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related fatalities in women after lung cancer worldwide. The development of BC is significantly influenced by estrogen receptors (ERs). The problem with current cancer treatments is selectivity, target specificity, cytotoxicity, and developing resistance. Thiazole scaffolds are gaining popularity in drug discovery due to their broad range of biological activity. It has the extraordinary capacity to control a variety of cellular pathways, and its potential for selective anticancer activity can be explored. Synthesis and in-silico</i> studies of 4-Phenyl thiazol-2-amine derivatives as anti-breast cancer agents and molecular docking was used to assess the compounds' capacity to bind ER-α protein target. In this study, 4-Phenylthiazol-2-amine derivatives (3a-j) have been synthesized, and using Schrodinger software, molecular docking and ADME studies of the compounds were conducted. Most of the synthesized compounds have shown dock scores ranging from -6.658 to - 8.911 kcal/mol, which is better than the standard drug tamoxifen (-6.821 kcal/mol). According to molecular docking, all compounds fit in the protein's active site and have the same hydrophobic pocket as the standard drug tamoxifen. Further, all of the compounds' ADME properties are below acceptable limits. Compound 3e showed the best docking score of -8.911. All compounds' ADME properties are within acceptable limits, and their p/o coefficients fall within a range, suggesting they will all have sufficient absorption at the site of action. These compounds can be evaluated invitro</i> and in-vivo</i> in the future.

Sustainable jet fuel from municipal solid waste–Investigation of carbon negativity and affordability claims

Addressing the challenges posed by municipal solid waste (MSW) and alternative aviation fuel is crucial for promoting circular economy and achieving carbon neutrality aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. While most studies in this field have focused on catalyst development for MSW-to-jet fuel conversion, this study investigates the environmental and economic performance of sustainable aviation fuels derived from MSW. Life cycle emissions for six conversion pathways were estimated to be 1187–9694 kg CO2 eq/t jet fuel. Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and Plasma FT synthesis emerged as promising options due to their lower greenhouse gas emissions (∼2000 kg CO2eq/t jet fuel) and high net present value (∼$859 million). Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis quantified the potential outcomes for net present value and carbon footprints. This study also discussed social acceptance, policy implications and real-world limitations for strategic decision-making and advancing the transition to alternative aviation fuels.

Sample suitability and stability in different blood collection tubes for methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone and glycols analysis

AimTo systematically examine the sample suitability and stability for volatile alcohols (methanol, ethanol and isopropanol with its metabolite acetone) and glycols (ethylene/propylene glycols, EG/PG) in different collection tubes.MethodTwo pools of...

Quantification of Lobeglitazone Sulfate in Bulk and Tablet Dosage Form by a Validated UV Spectroscopy Method: A New Thiazolidinedione Anti-diabetic Drug

Background: Lobeglitazone sulfate is a novel thiazolidinedione drug used for the therapy of type 2 diabetes. Recent pre-clinical studies show that the drug is also effective in attenuating mucus hypersecretion and airway inflammation caused due to ovalbumin-induced asthma. Objective: This study aimed to develop an accurate, simple, and cost-effective analytical method for the quantification of lobeglitazone sulfate in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage forms by UV spectrophotometric technique. Methods: The drug was identified by FTIR (ATR) instrument and the method development was performed with methanol as the solvent. In compliance with the ICH Q2(R2) guidelines, all the important validation parameters, such as linearity, accuracy, Limit of Detection (LOD), precision, specificity, Limit of Quantification (LOQ), and robustness were deter-mined. Results: The maximum absorption wavelength of lobeglitazone sulfate was found to be 248 nm. The linearity range was established from 2-14 μg/mL with a linearity equation of y = 0.0361x + 0.0024 and r² = 0.9987. The accuracy of the analytical method was found to be in the range of 99.37-100.41%. The precision studies were performed under three subsets of re-peatability, intra-day, and inter-day, and the results recorded were within the acceptance lim-its, i.e., %RSD (&lt;2%). The developed analytical method's Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) values were 0.07 μg/mL and 0.22 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The developed analytical method has been found to be valuable in regular qual-ity control analysis of lobeglitazone sulfate in pharmaceutical industries. The adopted ap-proach of the developed method has been found to be facile, accurate, precise, and economi-cal.

Influence of absorptive capability on organizational performance of tier two commercial banks in Kenya

Firms that clearly understand their mandate are more easily able to understand their customers and hence are in a better position to create products that correctly fit in with the market needs and withstand competition. Most firms in the same industry operate under similar environments, however, the ability of a firm to understand its surroundings and take up the opportunities around it and at the same time minimize its threats within certain acceptable time limits, brings out to a large extent the difference between performance of one firm and the other in a similar industry. This study was anchored on the competitive theory as advanced by Michael Porter. A descriptive approach was used by explaining the data and characteristics of the population being studied. The study targeted a total of 64 respondents. This study did not sample the tier two commercial banks because they are few and hence a census was adopted. A pilot test on 8 employees was consequently carried out before this study. The respondents agreed that tier two banks strive to be competitive in the market and employees are encouraged to implement new ideas. The study concluded that absorptive capability has a significant contribution to performance of tier two banks. The study also recommended that banks should enhance customer retention to build their customer base.

Exploring Digital Gingival Shade Matching in Students.

To study the degree of accuracy in gingival shade matching of undergraduate students using a computer application. In total, 76 undergraduate dental students' gingival shade selection abilities were evaluated using an in-house developed computer application. A total of 15 intraoral gingival photographs and 21 pink gingival color porcelain samples were used. The environmental conditions were standardized, and no time limit was set for answering in the computer application. Fourteen gingival color samples (66.6%) were not useful for representing the studied gingival shades. Not all natural gingival colors studied were represented within the 50.50% acceptability limits of the pink samples. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women in terms of "hit" percentages. The highest correlation coefficient (in absolute value) was for the L* coordinate (the darker the gingiva in the picture, the higher the hit rate for choosing the "ideal" shade tab); however, none of the linear correlation coefficients were statistically significant. Not all colors provided in the pink ceramic system were useful for subjective gingival selection. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female dental students in gingival color perception. The L* coordinate was the only one that influenced the correct perception of gingival color by dental students, and it did so more in women than in men.

Assessment of tube well water quality in selected residential areas in Khulna

Clean water is vital for sustainable development, fostering socio-economic growth, ecological stability, and human survival. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of tube well water in specific residential areas of Khulna for drinking purposes, comparing it with the standards of World Health Organization (WHO) and Bangladesh (BD). Twenty tube well water samples were collected from residential areas at depths of 700-1500 ft. The samples were tasted with about 20 parameters, including physical: color, taste, odor, total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS); chemical: acidity/alkalinity (pH), arsenic (As), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), bicarbonate (HCO3–), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl–), iron (Fe), phosphate (PO43–), sulfate (SO42–), potassium (K+); and bacteriological parameters: total coliforms and E. coli bacteria. Most of the samples were found to have higher TDS (avg. 1380 mg/L), TSS (avg. 620 mg/L), Fe (avg. 20.2 mg/L), K+ (avg. 194.1 mg/L), and Na+ (avg. 439 mg/L) concentrations compared to the WHO and BD Standards. 90 to 95% of samples exhibited acceptable levels of EC, pH, DO, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl–, and SO43–. The salinity levels in most of the samples were excessive to be used for drinking, and the levels were especially very high in samples S-01(Na+ 820 and Cl- 3195 mg/L) and S-04 (Na+ 660 and Cl- 2946 mg/L). The arsenic levels were found to be higher than acceptable limit in S-01 (0.086 mg/L) and S-04 (0.091 mg/L) as well. E. coli and other bacteria in a few samples (S-01, 04, 13, 16, 17, 19) were detected.

Health Risks Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentration in Cultured Chanos chanos (Bangus) and Scylla serrata (Mudcrab) in Selected Municipalities in Northern Samar

One of the common problem in fishponds is heavy metal contamination. Though there are some heavy metal elements that are naturally occurring, but due to human activities, their concentration goes beyond what is normal. In this study, health risks analysis using Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Total Hazard Quotient (THQ), Target Cancer Risk (TCR) were done to assess if the quantities of the heavy metals, such as: Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, and Mercury, impose risks to consumer. Arsenic had the highest concentration among all other heavy metals in crab aligue, having 46.83 mg/kg. The consumption of bangus meat may result in an EDI that is greater than PTDI, especially for Arsenic [15.22731-18.10317 μg kg−1 BW d−1]. Similarly, consuming crab aligue may also result to a high EDI for Arsenic [2.48197-5.27841μg kg−1 BW d−1]. THQ was also evaluated as well as the sum of individual heavy metal values which is the Hazard Index (HI) that exceeded to 1 multiple times. In terms of TCR levels, all of the heavy metals exceeded the acceptable limit for cancer risks. Shapiro-Wilk Test had shown non-normal distribution of data for EDI, THQ, and TCR. Spearman’s Correlation Test, meanwhile, suggested that there is a significant relationship between the quantities of heavy metals in bangus meat and crab aligue as well as EDI, THQ, and TCR. In general, based on the health risks assessments (EDI, THQ, and TCR), Arsenic, an established carcinogen, can be the greatest contributor in developing risks and disease, while the varying concentration of Chromium and Cadmium in the samples may also pose risks to consumers. This implies that strict management measures should be implemented to mitigate or lessen the discharge of these heavy metals in the aquatic systems.

Heavy Metals in Common Fishes Consumed in Dhaka, a Megacity of Asia: A Probabilistic Carcinogenic and Non-Carcinogenic Health Hazard.

Heavy metal contamination of fish is a serious public health concern worldwide, including in Bangladesh. In this study, six commonly consumed fish species namely Hilsha (Tenualosa ilisha), Kachki (Corica soborna), Punti (Puntitus ticto), Taki (Channa punctatus), Meni (Nandus nandus), and Tengra (Mystus tengara) were analyzed for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni), by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The fish samples were collected from wholesale markets in Dhaka city, the main business hub of Bangladesh where the fishes converged from countrywide and are redistributed to the whole city. The metal concentration varied among the studied fish species. Hilsha, the national fish of Bangladesh, contained the highest As among the other fishes of this study, whereas Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Ni were the highest in Kachki, and Pb and Cr were the highest in Tengra. The probable source of metal accumulation in the fish species may be the river or marine water that can be contaminated by industrial waste, pesticide, and/or fertilizer use in agriculture and/or commercial fish feeds. All analyzed fish species showed serious heavy metal pollution, having high average pollution load index (APLI) values (> 1). The estimated daily intake (EDI) values for the metals were lower than the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI). The hazard index (HI) for all the fish species was above 1 for adults, showing non-carcinogenic health risks. The targetcarcinogenic risk (TCR) values were below the acceptable limit (10-4) for most of the metals, indicating safe for consumption with respect to the risk of cancer.

Design and Experiment of Oil-Electric Hybrid Air-Suction Sorghum Plot Seeder

To tackle the issues of low seeding accuracy and seed injury caused by the seeders utilized at a small scale and in the plot seeding of sorghum in mountainous or hilly regions, this study presents the design of an oil–electric hybrid air suction sorghum plot seeder. The main working parts of the seeder are described, and the performance of the seed-mixing device is simulated using EDEM software. An oil–electric hybrid drive mode is used to provide power for operation and to the seed-metering device and fan. Additionally, a sowing control and monitoring system is designed using a single-chip microcomputer controller to ensure uniform plant spacing at different forward speeds. A multi-factor experiment is conducted using the central synthesis method to determine the optimal operating parameters of the seed-metering device through bench tests. The results show that a profile hole diameter of 2.5 mm on the seed tray, a negative-pressure chamber vacuum of 8.0 kPa, and a seed-metering device speed of 28 r/min result in a 95.95% pass rate, 0.5% missing rate, and 3.55% reseeding rate. The deviation between the experimental and analytical results that validate the optimum parameters is kept within acceptable limits. Field tests are conducted at different forward speeds using the optimum parameter combinations, and a comparison is made with the widely used duckbill planter. The results show pass, missing, and reseeding rates of 94.41%, 2.3%, and 3.29%, respectively. The missing monitoring error is less than 7.19%. All of the indices of the oil–electric hybrid air suction sorghum plot seeder are superior to those of the duckbill planter; thus, it fulfills the agronomic requirements for seeding a sorghum plot.

Thermal Comfort in a Tropical Climate: Case Study of the Cafeteria in Student Residential College, UTHM Pagoh Branch Campus

Thermal comfort is important for buildings, especially in tropical climates. The issue of increasing indoor temperature is influenced by various factors that cause occupants to face thermal discomfort in cafeterias that uses both mechanical and natural ventilation systems. This study aims to determine the perception of occupants and evaluate parameter variations of thermal comfort in the cafeteria of Pagoh Campus Residential College, UTHM Pagoh Branch Campus. This study was conducted through the measurements of subjective and physical parameters. Data collection is carried out in two days, which are weekdays and weekends. This study uses some parameters variation which are thermal sensation vote index (TSV), predicted mean vote index (PMV), predicted percentage of dissatisfaction (PPD), operative temperature (To) and neutral operative temperature (Tneutop) to determine the thermal comfort conditions in the cafeteria. The results shows that the average values of air temperature, mean radiation temperature, relative humidity and air velocity from environmental measurements were 30.2 °C, 30.6 °C, 66% and 0.1 m/s respectively. In addition, PMV and PPD values were 2.0 and 76% from environmental measurements, while 1.36 and 43% from questionnaires. For To and Tneutop, the average values obtained are 30.4 °C and 28.6 °C. Furthermore, the findings showed that only the morning session was in the acceptable operative temperature range and complied with ASHRAE Standard 55 for both the 80% and 90% acceptability limits. At the end of the study, it was found that the values from the thermal environment measurements and surveys exceeded those recommended by ASHRAE Standard 55. This concluded that the quality of the occupants’ environment in the cafeteria is outside the satisfactory thermal comfort level. Therefore, the improvement through mechanical ventilation may very helpful in improving a good ventilation system as well as encouraging an increase in thermal comfort in the building.

Analysis of Relatively Short Variable Rate “Noisy” Well Test Data Using Non-Linear Deconvolution

Short well test data are pressure-rate-time data that are not long enough to be used to infer the reservoir boundary model and are very common in the oil and gas industry. Short rate well test data may occur when companies try to cut costs of well test jobs or mostly due to improper well test design. Nevertheless, one may wish to extract the most amount of information from this limited data because the de-convolve response can allow the reservoir engineer to make the best use of the available data in selecting a suitable interpretation model by narrowing down the possible boundary models and also providing a reliable estimates of model parameters. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness and significance of pressure-rate deconvolution in analyzing relatively short variable rate data using a hypothetical case study. The simulation was carried out using Sapphire’s test design module by assuming the presence of an exploratory well in an oil reservoir above bubble point pressure. Further assumption is that the reservoir is homogenous, therefore the possibility of a changing wellbore model was neglected from the analysis. The computer codes for the simulation were inputted using python programming language. We observed from the study that although pressure and flow rate relationship can be nonlinear, the problem can be formulated as a linear problem and the nonlinearity is expressed in the features of the reservoir. The simulation results were satisfactory using the test case and deviations between model parameters and actual reservoir parameters used in simulation was shown to have an absolute value less than 8% which is within acceptable engineering limits.

Series and shunt FACTS controllers based optimal reactive power dispatch

Optimal reactive power dispatch involves the determination and management of reactive power resources in a power system to maintain voltage stability, improve power transfer capability, and minimize system losses. Reactive power is essential for maintaining voltage levels within acceptable limits and ensuring the reliable operation of electrical networks. The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) has been proposed to obtain the optimal location of flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) components. The efficacy of WOA is tested using conventional IEEE 14 and 30 bus test systems. Static var compensator (SVC) is used as shunt and the thyristor-controlled series capacitor (TCSC) as a series FACTS controller. The analysis is carried out for both the systems with and without FACTS controllers. Optimization techniques are applied to select the optimal control parameters. The suggested strategy is compared to other contemporary techniques such as particle swarm optimization (PSO) and grey wolf optimization (GWO). At various loading situations, the WOA-based technique outperforms other two techniques.

Upgrade of the ATLAS Level-0 TGC Endcap Muon Trigger for HL-LHC

The Level-0 endcap muon trigger system for the ATLAS experiment at the HL-LHC, which performs a fast muon reconstruction using the Thin Gap Chamber (TGC), is being developed to cope with more than three times higher luminosity environment and achieve a better performance. The efficiency in the high-p T region was found to be 9% higher than the current system. The TGC hit signals digitized at the frontend electronics are sent to the backend, and muon candidates are reconstructed using the hits. Then, the candidates are combined with information from other detectors to refine transverse momentum (p T) reconstruction and reduce fake trigger candidates. The precise online estimation of p T allows us to apply highly efficient trigger condition to select events that contains muons with high p T.The Sector Logic (SL) is responsible for the online fast reconstruction in the L0 Muon Trigger system, and the algorithms are implemented in a large-scale modern FPGA on the SL. Each step of the reconstruction algorithms is first implemented as individual modules, and all trigger algorithms run sequentially as a chain in a combined firmware. The trigger algorithms are being tested on the prototype trigger board, the SL. The resource usage of the FPGA is reasonable and the trigger latency is within the acceptable limit.

Formulation and Evaluation of Ion-Triggered In situ gel for Effective Ocular Delivery of Ciprofloxacin HCl and Olopatadine HCl in Combination

Background: Ocular in situ gels (ISG) are an adequate substitute to overcome the pitfalls of conventional eye drops as they acquaintance the advantages of solutions, including accuracy, dosing frequency, and ease of administration with prolonged contact with the ocular membrane. Objective: The present investigation aims to develop the ion-triggered in situ gel (ITISG) system for the convenient administration of Ciprofloxacin HCl (CFH) and Olopatadine HCl (OLH) in combination by employing gellan gum to prolong the pre-corneal residence, optic bioavailability and declines dosing frequency. Methods: The ISG material and critical quality attributes (CQA) were identified. Quality by De-sign (QbD) was established to optimize the formulation. Nine experimental formulations were de-signed (F1-F9) and assigned to distinct physicochemical and in vitro examinations. Results: Optimized batch F2 exhibited all the findings within acceptable limits. The Ion-triggered ISG technique exhibits maximum drug release over a 240-min cycle, much more significant than conventional eyedrops (60 min), suggesting sustained drug distribution and superior corneal penetration and absorption. Conclusion: Comprehensive findings of the present investigation conclude that the CFH and OLH would be effectively formulated as an ion-triggered ISG system to manage several draw-backs associated with prolonged release, ocular retention, and better corneal penetration com-pared with conventional eyedrops.

The Molecular Mechanism of the Response of Rice to Arsenic Stress and Effective Strategies to Reduce the Accumulation of Arsenic in Grain.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for more than 50% of the world's population. Owing to its growth characteristics, rice has more than 10-fold the ability to enrich the carcinogen arsenic (As) than other crops, which seriously affects world food security. The consumption of rice is one of the primary ways for humans to intake As, and it endangers human health. Effective measures to control As pollution need to be studied and promoted. Currently, there have been many studies on reducing the accumulation of As in rice. They are generally divided into agronomic practices and biotechnological approaches, but simultaneously, the problem of using the same measures to obtain the opposite results may be due to the different species of As or soil environments. There is a lack of systematic discussion on measures to reduce As in rice based on its mechanism of action. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of the accumulation of As in rice could result in accurate measures to reduce the content of As based on local conditions. Different species of As have different toxicity and metabolic pathways. This review comprehensively summarizes and reviews the molecular mechanisms of toxicity, absorption, transport and redistribution of different species of As in rice in recent years, and the agronomic measures to effectively reduce the accumulation of As in rice and the genetic resources that can be used to breed for rice that only accumulates low levels of As. The goal of this review is to provide theoretical support for the prevention and control of As pollution in rice, facilitate the creation of new types of germplasm aiming to develop without arsenic accumulation or within an acceptable limit to prevent the health consequences associated with heavy metal As as described here.

Assessing the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of metals in the drinking water of Isfahan, Iran

Metals are significant contributors to water pollution, posing serious threats to human health. This study aims to assess the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with metals in Isfahan drinking water. Eighty water samples were randomly collected from the city's distribution network between January and March 2020–2021. Inductively coupled plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry was used to measure toxic metals, namely Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, and As concentrations. Results revealed that the mean concentration of Ni (70.03 µg/L) exceeded the WHO reference value (70 µg/L), while the other metals were below the standard values. The average chronic daily intake order of toxic metals was Ni > Cr > Pb > As > Cd. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment through hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) demonstrated that both THI for adults (HQingestion + HQdermal = 4.02E−03) and THI for children (HIingestion + HIdermal = 3.83E−03) were below the acceptable limit (less than 1). This indicated no non-carcinogenic risk to residents through water ingestion or dermal exposure. However, findings indicated that the ingestion route was the primary exposure pathway, with HQ values for ingestion exceeding HQ values for dermal adsorption. Carcinogenic risk assessment showed that the risk associated with As metal exceeded the acceptable limit (1 × 10−6). Therefore, implementing treatment improvement programs and appropriate control measures is essential to safeguard the health of Isfahan City residents.

Quality Assessment of Some Herbal Aphrodisiac Instant Coffee Premix Products Marketed in Kaduna, Nigeria

Aphrodisiac refers to any substance (food, drink or drug) or practice that is believed to stimulate sexual desire or enhance sexual pleasure and performance. There have been reports indicating lack of good manufacturing practices and adulteration of herbal aphrodisiac with phosphodiestrate-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors without consideration of public safety. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of three herbal aphrodisiac instant coffee premix products, through physicochemical analysis, elemental analysis, quantification of caffeine, detection and quantification of undeclared adulterants. Physicochemical properties of the three samples of herbal aphrodisiac products were determined using the methods described by World Health Organization 2011, while elemental analysis was conducted using nitric acidhydrochloric acid (1:3) digestion mixtures and subsequent analysis for the presence of lead, copper, cadmium, zinc and iron using micro plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer (MP-AES). Iodometric titration was used for quantification of caffeine levels in the samples while fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy were used for the detection and quantification of undeclared adulterants respectively. Moisture content (2.33 %, 2.83 % and 1.60 %) and ash value (10.50 %, 11.67 % and 0.98 %) of the samples A, B and C respectively were found to be within the official permissible limit. The samples were found to be rich in iron and zinc; however, the levels of lead, cadmium, and copper were above the WHO permissible limits. The concentrations of caffeine in the samples were less than the acceptable WHO limit of 400 mg/day. However, sildenafil was detected in two of the products (151.45 mg and 82.15 mg), while tadalafil was detected in one of the products (36.13 mg). The herbal aphrodisiacs were adulterated with either sildenafil or tadalafil, and contained relatively high levels of lead, cadmium, and copper. However, moisture content, ash value, and caffeine content met the WHO requirements.