The Ephedra Story: Automated SPE Procedure and Analysis for the Determination of Ephedra and Ephedra-like Compounds in Dietary Supplements

Ephedra is a naturally-occurring substance derived from the Chinese herb Ma Huang. Its principle active ingredient is ephedrine, which, when chemically synthesized, is regulated as a drug. In recent years, they have been extensively promoted and used to aid weight loss, enhance sports performance and increase energy. This application note presents the advantages of using an automated solid phase extraction method coupled with HPLC to determine the various levels of ephedra and ephedra-like compounds in dietary supplements versus manual solid phase extraction.