Ephedrine hydrochloride 15mg / Chlorphenamine 10mg tablets

Chlorphenamine maleate is a prohibited additive found in herbal teas and health foods. Excessive intake of this substance can result in adverse health effects. In this study, two novel haptens, PEM and bepotastine (PB1), mimicking chlorphenamine maleate structure were designed and synthesized based on molecular simulation for developing two corresponding polyclonal antibodies (PEM-Ab and PB1-Ab), respectively. Afterward, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was developed to quickly and accurately detect chlorphenamine maleate in herbal teas using PB1-Ab, which has a high sensitivity and specificity. For chlorphenamine maleate, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and limit of detection (LOD) of PB1-Ab under ideal circumstances were found to be 1.18 µg/L and 0.07 µg/L, respectively. Besides, an environmentally friendly sample pre-treatment strategy was employed that allowed easy and effective elimination of complex matrices. The ic-ELISA method observed the average recovery rate from 87.7% to 94.0% with the variance coefficient (CV) ranging from 2.2% to 9.4%. Additionally, the identification of 25 commercially available herbal teas using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) further confirmed the validity of our detection. The results of the two methods are consistent. Overall, the proposed ic-ELISA could be an ultrasensitive and reliable method for chlorphenamine maleate adulterated in foods or exposure to the environment.

Abstract licence: CC BY

The increasing global consumption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and their persistence in the environment have raised concerns about their potential ecological and human health risks, especially in aquatic systems. Thermal waters, widely used for therapeutic and agricultural purposes, remain underexplored regarding PPCP contamination. This study presents a comprehensive environmental risk assessment (ERA) of 104 PPCPs in thermal waters from 22 sampling points across nine geothermal fields in Kütahya, Türkiye. A total of five PPCPs (caffeine, DEET, ephedrine, carbamazepine, and chlorphenamine) were quantified using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Caffeine exhibited the highest detection frequency (100%) and maximum concentration (43.191 ng L-1), followed by DEET (90.9%) and ephedrine (77.2%). Risk quotients (RQs) were calculated based on predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) derived from ECOSAR v2.2, and the mixture risk quotient (MRQ) approach was applied to assess the cumulative ecological risks of PPCP mixtures. The results indicate that although most individual compounds pose low to medium ecological risk levels (RQ  1) in several locations, suggesting potential chronic threats, especially to algae and invertebrates. No significant correlation emerged between PPCP levels and water parameters, indicating their persistence. Geological and hydrogeological factors, such as fault-controlled mixing between shallow and deep aquifers, were identified as pathways for contamination. These findings highlight the need for regulatory oversight of PPCPs in thermal waters and recommend safeguards, such as isolating well intakes from shallow aquifers, to reduce ecological and health risks.

Abstract licence: CC BY