Journal
NUTRIENTS
Volume 12, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/nu12020285
Keywords
higenamine; lotus plumule; microwave-assisted extraction; doping
Categories
Funding
- Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, R.O.C. [MOST 106-2410-H-037-007-MY3, MOST 108-2410-H-037-021]
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, R.O.C. [KMU-TC108A03-8, KMU-TC108A03-9]
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Since 2017, higenamine has been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list as a beta(2)-agonist prohibited at all times for sportspersons. According to WADA's report, positive cases of higenamine misuse have been increasing yearly. However, higenamine occurs naturally in the Chinese herb lotus plumule-the green embryo of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) seeds-commercially available as concentrated powder on the Asian market. This study evaluated the major phytochemical components of lotus plumule products using an appropriate extraction method, followed by a human study in which the products were orally administered in multiple doses to investigate the risk of doping violations. Comparing various extraction methods revealed that optimized microwave-assisted extraction exhibited the highest extraction efficiency (extraction time, 26 min; power, 1046 W; and temperature, 120 degrees C). Subsequently, the alkaloids in lotus plumule products were quantitatively confirmed and compared. Human study participants (n = 6) consumed 0.8 g of lotus plumule (equivalent to 679.6 mu g of higenamine) three times daily for three consecutive days. All participants' urinary higenamine concentrations exceeded the WADA reporting cut-off of 10.0 ng/mL. Accordingly, lotus plumule consumption may engender adverse analytical findings regarding higenamine. Athletes should avoid consuming lotus plumule-containing products during in- and out-of-competition periods.
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