Isolation and structural elucidation of dapoxetine as an adulterant in a health supplement used for sexual performance enhancement

A health supplement used for sexual performance enhancement was sent to Health Sciences Authority of Singapore for testing. An unknown compound was detected and isolated and its structure was elucidated using NMR, high-resolution MS, ESI-MS/MS, UV and IR. The compound, dapoxetine, is reported to be a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of premature ejaculation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.