Adulteration of products sold as Chinese Herbal medicines for weight loss with thyroid hormones and PCP

AimsChinese herbal products for weight loss are popular purchases by women in Iran. They are also available around the world via the internet. The content of some of these popularly purchased products was investigated for the presence of illegal substances and thyroid hormones.Materials and methodsNine different types of herbal weight loss tablets were obtained from the retail marketplace and subjected to qualitative chemical analysis. Immunochromatographic assays for detection of phencyclidine and radioimmunoassay methods for thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) were employed.ResultsAll products except three contained triiodothyronine (T3), Magic Slim and 100% Original Super Slim also contained thyroxine (T4), 0.13 μmol and 0.81 μmol per capsule respectively. Phencyclidine (PCP) was found in Herbarceous Essence, Green Lean Super Slim and Fat Loss.ConclusionThe Chinese herbal slimming products analyzed contained thyroid hormones and PCP without labeling their contents. Accurate labeling and good surveillance systems are required to ensure the protection of consumers.