Screening of pharmacologic adulterant classes in herbal formulations using voltammetry of microparticles

A solid state electrochemical method for screening different families of adulterant chemicals illegally added to commercial phytotherapuetic formulations is described. The proposed method, based on the voltammetry of microparticles approach, permits a fast and sensitive way to distinguish between anorexics (amfepramone, fenproporex, sibutramine), benzozodiazepinic anxiolytics (clonazepam, flurazepam, alprazolam, midazolam, medazepam, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam), antidepressants (bupropione, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine), diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, chlortalidone, amiloride, spironolactone), and hypoglycemics (glimepiride, chlorpropamide, glibenclamide) based on characteristic voltammetric signals recorded on solid micro- or nanosamples attached to graphite electrodes immersed into aqueous electrolytes.

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► Screening of different families of adulterants is obtained by voltammetry of microparticles.
► Application to identify synthetic adulterants in herbal formulations is described.
► Anorexics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, diuretics, and hypoglycemics can be discerned.