Affiliation: | 1. Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195 Berlin, Germany;2. Laboratorio Antidoping FMSI, Largo Giulio Onesti 1, Rome, 00197 Italy;3. Laboratorio Antidoping FMSI, Largo Giulio Onesti 1, Rome, 00197 Italy REDs - Research and Expertise in Anti-Doping Sciences, ISSUL - Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Synathlon - Quartier Centre, Lausanne, 1015 Switzerland;4. Department for Molecular and Cellular Sports Medicine, Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany |
Abstract: | Scope The phytosteroid ecdysterone is present in spinach. In this study, the urinary elimination of ecdysterone and its metabolites in humans is investigated following spinach consumption of two different culinary preparations. Methods and results Eight participants (four males, four females) ingested 950 (27.1) g sautéed spinach (average [±standard deviation (SD)]) and 912 (70.6) g spinach smoothie as second intervention after washout. Post-administration urines are analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After intake of both preparations, ecdysterone and two metabolites, 14-deoxy-ecdysterone, and 14-deoxy-poststerone, are excreted in urine. The maximum concentration of ecdysterone is ranging from 0.09 to 0.41 µg mL−1 after sautéed spinach and 0.08–0.74 µg mL−1 after smoothie ingestion. The total excreted amount (mean% [±SD]) in the urine as a parent drug plus the metabolites is only 1.4 (1.0) for both sautéed spinach and smoothie. The apparent sex related differences in 14-deoxy-poststerone excretion will need further investigations. Conclusion Only a small proportion of ecdysterone from spinach is excreted into urine. No significant differences are found in concentration and recovered amount (%) of ecdysterone, 14-deoxy-ecdysterone, and 14-deoxy-poststerone in urine between sautéed spinach and smoothie ingestion. A discrimination between ecdysterone from food or preparations will be challenging based on urinary concentrations only, at least for later post-administration samples. |