Determination of sildenafil by preconcentration on surfactant coated polymeric resin followed by spectrofluorimetry

The illicit addition of phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra) in product offered as herbal medicine or dietary supplement for male erectile dysfunction has concerned authorities in recent times. In this paper, we proposed a sensitive surfactant-coated Amberlite XAD™ resin for sildenafil preconcentration method with spectrofluorimetric detection. Retention capacity of micellar coated XAD resin for sildenafil was studied and the obtained eluate was measured by spectrofluorometer at excitation and emission wavelengths of 350 and 430 nm, respectively. This method allowed the detection of sildenafil at 0.15 ng/mL with linear range of 0.0003–7.0 μg/mL. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of some local commercially available herbal medicines and urine.