| Home |
|
AOAC Seeks Methods and Experts for Turmeric and Yohimbe AOAC is issuing a call for methods and experts for turmeric (for curcuminoids) and yohimbe (for yohimbine). These ingredients have been added to a list of dietary supplements for which validated methods are urgently needed, and are the focus of the first task order (NIH dietary supplements initiative) of a new 5-year FDA IDIQ (Indefinite Deliverable, Indefinite Quantity) contract. AOAC welcomes methods for these ingredients, and interested parties are invited to submit methods, with any available validation data, by January 15, 2010. Methods and validation data will be evaluated by an expert review panel (ERP). Interested parties are invited to submit CVs to Al Pohland, chief scientific officer, chemistry, at apohland@aoac.org. The method for turmeric will be able to quantify total curcuminoid content, calculated as the sum of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bis-demethyoxocurcumin, in turmeric powdered botanical raw materials, extracts, and dietary supplement finished products containing turmeric extract, alone or in combination with other herbs such as Piper nigrum and Boswellia serrata. The method must be able to quantify curcuminoid content at levels up to 95% (w/w) in test materials. The lower limit of quantitation will be determined by an ERP to meet in early 2010. An AOAC Official MethodSM for yohimbe is required for the analysis of the ground bark raw material, commercial extracts of the bark, and commercially available dietary supplement consumer products for the alkaloid, yohimbine. The analytical range, therefore, is estimated to be 0.1-8000 ppm (or higher, to be confirmed by an ERP). The method must be able to cleanly separate other indole alkaloids related to yohimbine, and likely to be present (e.g., corynanthrine, etc.). Confirmation of the analyte identity is required, either as part of the method or as a separate confirmatory method. Turmeric and yohimbe have been proposed by NIH for consideration of method evaluation and validation because of the lack of validated methods for both their raw materials and finished products, and AOAC seeks to identify both existing methods as well as review proposed new methods for these ingredients. For more information, or to submit your methods, contact Bob Rathbone, senior director of publications/method validation, at rrathbone@aoac.org. More on the call for methods and experts, as well as the new FDA IDIQ contract, is scheduled for the November/December 2009 issue of Inside Laboratory Management.
|
