Chemical profile assessment of food supplements via HPLC-DAD

In order to ensure micro- and macro- nutrient requirements and reduce disease risk factors, various types of products have been introduced to the market, including food supplements. Herbal-based food supplements (PFS) are plant-based preparations, but their use raises several concerns, such as misuse, poor product quality, and the presence of multiple herbal ingredients that may interact with each other and with other drugs. Several factors can affect the quality and thus the safety of herbal-based supplements. Some plant are toxic and their use is obviously prohibited in supplements, while others may become toxic depending on factors like the part of the plant used (e.g., roots, leaves, and fruit), environmental conditions (e.g., climate), and cultivation practices (e.g., pesticide use and adherence to good agricultural practices). Furthermore, the presence of pharmacologically active substances such as anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, and anorectics, not listed on the label, has been revealed. This adulteration can have serious consequences for consumer health. The extracts obtained from the fruit skin and seeds (grape seeds) of Vitis Vinifera contain active ingredients with biological and pharmacological activity such as proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, fatty acids, flavonoids, minerals, and vitamins. Consequently, the multicomponent pattern and the biological characterization of plant material are essential for the pharmaceutical industry in quality control procedures for food supplements and other plant-derived products. The aim of this study is to compare the multicomponent pattern of phenolics in grape seed extractsupplements using validated liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array (HPLC-PDA) methods for the quantitative analysis of twenty-two phenolic compounds among those most commonly found in supplements.