Abstract

Hoodia gordonii is traditionally used by the San people in South Africa due to its properties of appetite and thirst suppression, and it is scientifically proven and explained by the presence of active glycoside P57. The scarcity of the plant due to the difficulty of cultivation coupled with the growing demand for products antiobesity on H. gordonii, created a setting in which the adulteration of other species or even other genera is a real possibility. In this context, the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is presented as a fundamental tool to certify the authenticity of products sold as H. gordonii. The aim of this study was to determine the authenticity of commercial samples of H. gordonii powder by means of qualitative analysis to confirm the presence or absence of active glycoside P57 in the samples. The tests were performed on C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a gradient elution of water and acetonitrile, both containing 0.1% acetic acid and using geranyl tiglate default. Qualitative analysis showed that commercial samples of H. gordonii powder present in its constitution species of the genus Hoodia, due to confirmation of the active glycoside P57 by recovery experiments. However, considering the quantitative aspect , the contents of the active glycoside in the samples are below the limit of quantification, suggesting that they are unable to produce inhibition of appetite at the doses recommended for human consumption.

Key words: Hoodia, HPLC, commercial powder.