This study assesses the actual measured quantities of melatonin and cannabidiol (CBD) in products marketed and sold in the US as melatonin gummies compared with the quantities declared on their labels.

Key Points Question Are select dietary supplement products advertised and sold to support or boost the immune system accurately labeled according to the Supplement Facts listed ingredients on product labels? Findings This case series study analyzed 30 dietary supplement products purchased from Amazon.com with claims related to immune health. Seventeen of 30 products had inaccurate labels; 13 were misbranded, and 9 had additional components detected but not claimed on the label. Meaning Quality control measures seem insufficient for most select dietary supplement products. The public has a right to know that they are buying what is stated on the label.

This case series assesses the levels of levodopa in Mucuna pruriens supplements available in the US that are included in the National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement Label Database.

The members of the genus Phyllanthus have long been used in the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases. They exhibited antiproliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of cancer death among women. Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anticancer agent used to treat breast cancer despite its significant cardiotoxicity along with resistance development. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the potential cytotoxicity of P. niruri extracts (and fractions) alone and in combination with DOX against naïve (MCF-7) and doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7ADR). The methylene chloride fraction (CH2Cl2) showed the most cytotoxic activity among all tested fractions. Interestingly, the CH2Cl2-fraction was more cytotoxic against MCF-7ADR than MCF-7 at 100 µg/mL. At sub-cytotoxic concentrations, this fraction enhanced the cytotoxic effect of DOX against the both cell lines under investigation (IC50 values of 0.054 µg/mL and 0.14 µg/mL vs. 0.2 µg/mL for DOX alone against MCF-7) and (1.2 µg/mL and 0.23 µg/mL vs. 9.9 µg/mL for DOX alone against MCF-7ADR), respectively. Further, TLC fractionation showed that B2 subfraction in equitoxic combination with DOX exerted a powerful synergism (IC50 values of 0.03 µg/mL vs. 9.9 µg/mL for DOX alone) within MCF-7ADR. Untargeted metabolite profiling of the crude methanolic extract (MeOH) and CH2Cl2 fraction exhibiting potential cytotoxicity was conducted using liquid chromatography diode array detector-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-QTOF). Further studies are needed to separate the active compounds from the CH2Cl2 fraction and elucidate their mechanism(s) of action.

This study examines the frequency of product recalls and the presence of FDA-prohibited drugs in supplements after FDA warning letters.