DETERMINATION OF NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS ADULTERATED IN HERBAL MEDICINES BY LC-MS/MS

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly adulterated in herbal medicines, especially in products used in the treatment and supportive treatment of osteoarthritis, have caused a lot of toxicities, catastrophes for the sick. Objectives: Determination paracetamol, piroxicam, indomethacin and ketoprofen adultered in herbal medicines by LC-MS/MS; applied methods in real herbal preparations. Materials and methods: Blank matrix is based on a traditional remedy (Vietnam Pharmacopeia IV). The analytical method is developed and validated in accordance with AOAC and ICH guidelines. Results: The simple and rapid extraction method gives high extraction efficiency (over 85%). LC-MS condition using Electrospray Ionization technique with positive mode separated 4 substances clearly with good peak shapes and relatively short retention time, a low detection limit (0.076-0.5ng/ml), correlation coefficients r> 0.995; Repeatability meets AOAC requirements. Conclusions: Developed a method for the simultaneous analysis of paracetamol, piroxicam, indomethacin, and ketoprofen that can be mixed illegally in herbal medicines. Detected 3 positive samples with paracetamol, indomethacin in herbal medicinal products on the market. Key words: Paracetamol, piroxicam, indomethacin, ketoprofen, herbal medicines, LC-MS/MS