Determination of the presence of sildenafil and tadalafil in herbal products collected in Bamako and surrounding area by HPLC at the National Health Laboratory (LNS)

Objectives: Adulteration of herbal products can have a negative impact on the health of populations, as adulterants can lead to developmental defects, chronic diseases or death. Recently, in the literature, it has been reported that these products are used as adulterants in several traditional medicines. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to monitor synthetic adulterants in marketed liquid herbal products, which are most commonly used as strength and energy stimulants in Mali, for the safety of populations. Methods: In this study, we investigated the presence of sildenafil and tadalafil in the most popular marketed herbal products in Mali by HPLC for regulatory measurements. Results: A total of 16 samples were collected and analyzed, of which 14 revealed the presence of adulteration corresponding to 87%. Among these samples, 8 revealed the presence of Sildenafil and 6, the presence of Tadalafil at varying concentrations. These samples consist mostly of liquid, powder or paste preparations and are used as traditional medicines and food supplements for the treatment of physical and sexual weakness. Conclusion: These results clearly raise the issue of adulteration of traditional medicines and food supplements used for the treatment of physical and sexual weakness in Mali by chemicals and the need to strengthen regulatory controls to prevent the falsification of these products. Keywords: sildenafil, tadalafil, herbal products