High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection for the Determination of Capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin in Fat-Burning Dietary Supplements

Recent studies show that the weight loss process may be supported by compounds isolated from plants. Capsaicinoids, primarily capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, are the active alkaloids from chili peppers, which have been classified into this group of compounds and are widely used in dietary supplements. Due to the mild legal regulations being in force in the European Union regarding dietary supplements, concentrations of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin have been tested in six local products. The optimization of the capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin extraction process was performed using central composite design. The developed procedure involved 60 minutes of ultrasound-assisted extraction with 65% methanol. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was used to analyze the extracts from the supplements. However, capsaicinoids were determined in considerably smaller concentrations than those declared by the producers.