Observational studyMedical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre2019
Over-the-Counter Herbal Weight Loss Supplements in Egypt: Label Claim, Microbiological and Pharmaceutical Quality, and Safety Assessments.
Observational study in Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- From 'traditional' remedies to 'modern' supplements: a systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmaceutical adulteration in weight-loss natural products.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Economic and equity evaluation of age restrictions on over-the-counter diet pills and muscle-building supplements.Health affairs scholar · 2025Article
- Effects of blended microbial feed additives on performance, meat quality, gut microbiota and metabolism of broilers.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Article
- Adulteration of Weight Loss Supplements by the Illegal Addition of Synthetic Pharmaceuticals.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Recent Analytical Method for Detection of Chemical Adulterants in Herbal Medicine.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Medication with Antifungal Drugs and Herbal Products Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Egypt.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2021Article
- Interpol review of controlled substances 2016-2019.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesNutraceuticals are advertised and sold with the label claim of being natural and safe herbal products. Due to the absence of clear regulations and guidelines for safety assessments of these products, nutraceuticals are commonly adulterated in order to increase sales. The objective of the current study was to design a comprehensive evaluation system to assess the safety, efficacy, authenticity according to label claim, and pharmaceutical quality of herbal slimming products in between 2015 and 2017.
methodsWe designed a comprehensive assessment system to evaluate the safety, authenticity according to label claim, and pharmaceutical quality of slimming nutraceuticals. Six different popular products were evaluated (Zotreem Plus®, Zotreem Extra®, Malaysian Super Slim®, AB Slim®, Chinese Super Slim®, and Metabolites®). The pharmaceutical evaluation included analyzing the samples via high-performance liquid chromatography to determine any possible adulterants. Additionally, the products' physical properties were assessed via pharmacopeial tests. Finally, a microbial evaluation and a cross-sectional observational retrospective prevalence study were conducted to assess the products' safety and efficacy. -Results: The tested products were found to be adulterated with unreported active pharmaceutical ingredients such as sibutramine, sildenafil, phenolphthalein, and orlistat. Furthermore, they contained heterogeneous amounts of adulterants and exhibited an unsatisfactory pharmaceutical and microbial quality. Finally, the observational survey conducted on users showed that high percentages of participants suffered from common side effects such as depression, diarrhea, and hypertension.
conclusionsThese products threaten the health of consumers. There is a need to raise awareness of the lethal consequences of illegal nutraceuticals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.