Risks associated with fat burners: A toxicological perspective

Establishment of high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array method for 43 weight loss agents and effect of basic environment on bisacodyl degradation

RATIONALE

The demand for weight loss products is increasing as slimness emerges as the new aesthetic standard and people's desire to achieve it increases. In addition, the distribution and sale of products containing illegal ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals for which safety is not guaranteed and that cannot be used as foods or dietary supplements are increasing. Thus, the development of an analytical method that could monitor these illegal products is required.

METHODS

A high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array method capable of rapid and reliable qualitative and quantitative analyses of 43 weight loss agents was established and validated.

RESULTS

The process involved dividing analytes into three groups for rapid analysis; when bisacodyl was mixed with chlorocyclopentylsibutramine, it decomposed into its metabolites: monoacetyl bisacodyl and bis-(p-hydroxypheny)-pyridyl-2-methane. This decomposition was due to NaOH that was used to prepare the chlorocyclopentylsibutramine standard solution. Bisacodyl did not degrade when mixed with neutralized chlorocyclopentylsibutramine, whereas when NaOH was added, it rapidly degraded. We identified the bisacodyl degradation products using liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap/mass spectrometry. MS2 spectra with proposed structures of fragment peaks were also obtained.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed method could be used to regulate slimming products that threaten public health, and knowledge of bisacodyl degradation will be used as the basis for developing an analytic method.

The Effects of Two Servings of a Thermogenic Supplement on Metabolism, Hemodynamic Variables, and Mood State Outcomes in Young Overweight Adults

Introduction We examined if acute ingestion of a novel thermogenic supplement influences resting energy expenditure (REE), mood, and hemodynamic function. Methods Forty-six adults completed this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. Participants underwent two conditions: placebo (PL) and treatment (TX) containing 300 mg of caffeine and 3 g of acetyl-L-carnitine. REE, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and mood states were assessed at baseline and 30, 60, and 120 minutes post-ingestion. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results A significant condition-by-time interaction was observed for REE. At the 30-, 60-, and 120-minute post-ingestion timepoints, REE was 202 ± 26, 238 ± 40, and 209 ± 29 kcal/d greater in the TX condition compared to PL. No significant differences were observed for SBP and HR but a significant interaction indicated that DBP was elevated at 30 minutes in the TX vs. PL, though values remained within normal ranges. Significant interactions were observed for perceived alertness, concentration, energy, and focus, with increases in TX. Conclusion These data provide evidence that acute consumption of the thermogenic dietary supplement OxyShred (EHPlabs, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) stimulates increases in REE that are sustained for ≥ two hours, along with increasing perceived alertness, concentration, energy, and focus. Changes in hemodynamic function are minimal and within normal ranges.

Synephrine and Its Derivative Compound A: Common and Specific Biological Effects

This review is focused on synephrine, the principal phytochemical found in bitter orange and other medicinal plants and widely used as a dietary supplement for weight loss/body fat reduction. We examine different aspects of synephrine biology, delving into its established and potential molecular targets, as well as its mechanisms of action. We present an overview of the origin, chemical composition, receptors, and pharmacological properties of synephrine, including its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity in various in vitro and animal models. Additionally, we conduct a comparative analysis of the molecular targets and effects of synephrine with those of its metabolite, selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist (SEGRA) Compound A (CpdA), which shares a similar chemical structure with synephrine. SEGRAs, including CpdA, have been extensively studied as glucocorticoid receptor activators that have a better benefit/risk profile than glucocorticoids due to their reduced adverse effects. We discuss the potential of synephrine usage as a template for the synthesis of new generation of non-steroidal SEGRAs. The review also provides insights into the safe pharmacological profile of synephrine.

Resistant Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient Taking Raspberry Ketones Weight Loss Supplement

A 32-year-old female with no cardiac risk factors was admitted for treatment of a perianal abscess. During her hospital stay, she had a pulseless electrical activity arrest with a return of spontaneous circulation after one round of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). After transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the patient had polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) requiring defibrillation shock. Her PVT was resistant to medical interventions. She was shocked a total of 33 times before her arrhythmia was terminated by passing a temporary transvenous pacemaker with overdrive pacing. After an extensive review of her history and presentation, no clear cause of her resistant arrhythmia was identified, however, she was found to have recently started taking over-the-counter weight loss supplements containing raspberry ketones which is a potentially cardiotoxic ingredient.

The prevalence of misusing over-the-counter and prescribed drugs in Syrian gymnasiums for performance-enhancing reasons: a cross-sectional study

Background

This study investigates the prevalence of misusing over-the-counter (OTC) and prescribed drugs in Syrian gymnasiums, in addition to types, sources of knowledge, and patterns of use. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 381 members of sports groups on social media, between April 2020 and February 2021. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software Version 26 for windows.

Results

A total of 133 participants (about 35%) stated they took OTC and prescribed drugs. Of those, 79 (11.8%) took proteins and amino acids, and 14 (3.7%) claimed they used 50 different products (mentioned 167 times) of anabolic steroids and other hormones (e.g., growth hormone and thyroxine). The most frequently used substance was testosterone (N =25, 15.56%), followed by thyroxine (N = 12, 7.18%) and stanozolol (N = 11, 6.58%). The source of knowledge was the Internet (48.6%) followed by friends (28.4%) and coaches (20.9%). Most users were males (61.6%) and had a bachelor’s university degree (64%). All anabolic steroid users (N = 14) practiced bodybuilding. Statistically significant relationships were found between the usage of anabolic steroids, proteins, and amino acids with each of the monthly income, frequency of training, level of training, and gender. Users claimed that they got benefits from taking these substances, and the majority of users (about 70%) did not experience any adverse effects.

Conclusions

Our results showed significant differences compared to neighboring countries, regarding attitudes towards misusing OTC and prescribed medications.

A review of the lipolytic effects and the reduction of abdominal fat from bioactive compounds and moro orange extracts

Dietary supplementation containing Citrus sinensis extract is being widely used for weight loss due to its anti-adipogenic and antioxidant effects that regulate the metabolism of fatty acids. Bioactive compounds upregulate PPARα in the liver tissue, increasing oxidation of fatty acids and improving insulin sensitivity in addition to decreasing the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, such as LXRα and FAS. Studies on synephrine demonstrated their ability to stimulate the development of beige adipose tissue through greater expression of UCP1 and mtTFA, contributing to an increase in thermogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. However, despite its widespread use to reduce abdominal fat, few scientific studies have consensually proven the effectiveness of Moro orange extract for weight loss. This literature review summarizes the current information on the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of lipid metabolism by the bioactive compounds present in Moro orange extract.

A new voltammetric platform for reliable determination of the sport performance-enhancing stimulant synephrine in dietary supplements using a boron-doped diamond electrode

For the first time, we propose a new modification-free voltammetric platform for simple, fast and reliable quantification of the sport performance-enhancing stimulant synephrine (SYN) based on the usage of a commercial screen-printed boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrochemical sensor. Applying cyclic voltammetry, SYN exhibited one well-shaped, irreversible and diffusion-driven oxidation peak at a peak potential of +1.45 V (vs. the silver pseudoreference electrode) in the presence of 2 M HClO₄. Under the selected experimental conditions, the following analytical parameters for determination of SYN were obtained: linear concentration ranges from 19.6 up to 1000 μM and from 9.9 up to 1000 μM for differential pulse (DPV) and square-wave voltammetry (SWV), respectively, detection limits at micromolar concentration levels and intra-day repeatability with a relative standard deviation below 4% for both pulse techniques. The interference study revealed fair selectivity when considering the target dietary supplements. The feasibility of the developed voltammetric platform was verified in the analysis of commercially available dietary supplements and reasonable recovery values were achieved by DPV and SWV, respectively. In addition, the method can be performed directly without higher consumption of chemicals, waste generation, complex sample extraction and higher instrumentation cost. The advanced BDD electrochemical sensor has appeared to be a suitable competitor for efficient applications in food quality control analysis.

Pretreatment of hepatetctomized rats with Coleus forskohlii did not interfere with the course of hepatic hyperplasia

Purpose

Coleus forskohlii Briq., a medicinal plant originally from India, has been indicated against heart disease, expiratory disorders, convulsions, and hepatic changes, among others. In view of the broad pharmacological potential of the plant and the scarce information about its effects, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of its use for pretreatment of partially hepatectomized rats.

Methods

The animals were divided into two experimental groups: Control (CG) receiving physiological saline for 10 days before partial hepatetctomy, and Treated (TG) receiving 40 mg Coleus forskohlii/kg/day for 10 days before partial hepatectomy. The treatments were performed by gastric gavage. After the surgical procedure, treatment was continued according to the following groups: CG 24 h, CG 48 h, TG 24 h, and TG 48 hs, and liver tissue and intracardiac blood samples were obtained for histological and biochemical analysis, respectively.

Results

No significant differences were observed in mitotic or apoptotic index or in the concentrations of the enzymes AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase, and no areas of fibrosis were detected.

Conclusion

Treatment with Coleus forskohlii did not interfere with the course of hepatic hyperplasia.

Plasma Trimethylamine-N-oxide following Cessation of L-carnitine Supplementation in Healthy Aged Women

L-carnitine supplementation elevates plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), which may participate in atherosclerosis development by affecting cholesterol metabolism. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of increased plasma TMAO on biochemical markers in the blood following cessation of L-carnitine supplementation. The follow-up measurements were performed on subjects who completed 24 weeks of L-carnitine or placebo supplementation protocol. Blood samples were taken after finishing the supplementation and then 4 and 12 months following the supplementation withdrawal. Four months after cessation of L-carnitine supplementation, plasma TMAO concentration reached a normal level which was stable for the following eight months. During this period, no modifications in serum lipid profile and circulating leukocyte count were noted. TMAO implications in health and disease is widely discussed. The results of this study demonstrate no adverse effects of elevated plasma TMAO, induced by L-carnitine, on the measured parameters at 4 and 12 months after withdrawal of supplementation.

Analysis of the cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and pro-oxidant effect of synephrine, a component of thermogenic supplements, in human hepatic cells in vitro

Thermogenic supplements containing synephrine (SN) are widely used to weight loss. SN is a proto-alkaloid naturally found in the bark of immature fruits of Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) that has been added to thermogenic supplements due to its chemical and pharmacological similarity with adrenergic amines, such as ephedrine and amphetamines. Although orally ingested SN is mainly metabolized in the liver, it remains unclear whether it affects the redox status and genetic material of human hepatic cells. The present study aims to examine whether SN affects cell viability, cell cycle, redox balance, genomic stability, and expression of the DNA damage response (DDR)-related genes ATM, ATR, CHEK1, CHECK2, TP53, and SIRT1 in HepG2 cells - used as in vitro hepatocyte model. SN induced overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) after 6 h of treatment with the three concentrations tested (2, 20 and 200 μM). After 24 h of treatment, SN at 200 μM induced intracellular ROS overproduction and exerted cytostatic effects, while SN at 20 and 200 μM increased the levels of GPx and GSH. SN was not cytotoxic (2-5000 μM), genotoxic, and mutagenic and did not alter the expression of DDR-related genes (2-200 μM), indicating that the fast/specific SN metabolization and upregulation of antioxidant defense components to detoxify intracellular ROS were sufficient to prevent intracellular damage in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, SN showed no cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic potential at relevant concentrations for thermogenic users in human hepatic cells in vitro, although, it plays pro-oxidative action, and cytostatic effects. Taken together, our results suggest that other investigations about the hazard absence of this thermogenic compound should be performed.