News from USA Today:
The maker of the popular sports supplement Craze, which scientists say
contains a methamphetamine-like compound, revealed Tuesday that it has
suspended all production and sales of the product.
Earlier this week a team of scientists from the U.S. and the Netherlands published an article in the peer-reviewed scientific journal
Drug Testing and Analysis saying they had identified an analog — or
chemical cousin — of methamphetamine in samples of Craze. They warned that the chemical has never been studied in humans, that the health risks are unknown and that it is not disclosed on Craze's label.
From the journal:
Pharmaceuticals and banned substances have been detected in hundreds of
purportedly natural supplements. Recently, several athletes have been
disqualified from competition after testing positive for the
methamphetamine analog N,α-diethyl-phenylethylamine (N,α-DEPEA).
Athletes have claimed they unknowingly consumed the banned stimulant in
workout supplements. Three samples from different lot numbers of Craze,
a workout supplement, were analyzed to detect the presence and
concentration of N,α-DEPEA. Two labs independently identified N,α-DEPEA
in the supplement using ultra high performance liquid chromatography
(UHPLC) coupled to an LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer and
UHPLC-quadruple-time-of-flight mass (Q-TOF) spectrometer, respectively.
The identity of N,α-DEPEA was confirmed using nuclear magnetic
resonance and reference standards. Manufacturer recommended servings
were estimated to provide 21 to 35 mg of N,α-DEPEA. N,α-DEPEA has never been studied in humans. N,α-DEPEA
is a methamphetamine analog; however, its stimulant, addictive and
other adverse effects in humans are entirely unknown. Regulatory
agencies should act expeditiously to warn consumers and remove N,α-DEPEA from all dietary supplement.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1578/full
