Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory
Project Number: 8040-10700-004-040-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 30, 2024
End Date: Sep 29, 2026
Objective:
Since dietary supplements are concentrated forms of various ingredients, the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database (DSID) (http://dsid.usda.nih.gov) project analyzes their actual content of dietary supplements providing vitamins, minerals and other bioactive constituents to the diet of U.S. citizens. The DSID provides nationally representative composition data for popular categories of DS, based on chemical analysis. The USDA identifies and purchases DS products for analysis and manages contracted, collaborative and in-house labs for analysis of nutrients and other bioactive ingredients. The DSID's scope has expanded to include the analysis of the constituents in botanical DS and to evaluate the performance quality of capsule and tablet dosage forms, which can impact how well the body absorbs the ingredients.
The project's goals are to determine, evaluate, and expand knowledge about the composition of frequently consumed dietary supplements in the U.S. by collecting and compiling data and information on essential nutrients and emerging components of public health importance. This includes developing methods for sampling new dietary supplement product types, statistically evaluating analytical results to portray representative estimates, and improving the value of the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database by utilizing new technologies to generate novel datasets. New studies are evaluating proanthocyanidins in cranberry DS and measuring the levels of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate in prenatal, child and adult dietary supplements.
Approach:
The DSID project utilizes several research strategies to analyze the ingredient content of dietary supplements. Here's how it works:
• Sample Selection: Experts at the Methods and Application of Food Composition (MAFCL) design the studies, identify representative supplement categories, and select specific products for analysis. They also partner with qualified laboratories for accurate testing.
• Chemical Analysis: Laboratories conduct rigorous chemical analyses to determine the actual levels of vitamins, minerals, and other active ingredients present in the supplements.
• Data Quality Control: MAFCL monitors the quality of the laboratory data to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Statistical Analysis and Public Release: Results are statistically evaluated to provide a national picture and made publicly available through the DSID online resource.
Ongoing and planned DSID Studies:
1) Calcium and magnesium in non-prescription antacids: In this nationally representative study of non-prescription antacids (a major source of supplemental calcium intake in the U.S.), products will be assessed for their calcium and magnesium content. Products will also be tested for disintegration and dissolution using current USP specifications.
2) Folic acid, 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate and other folate forms in DS: new forms of folate are replacing folic acid in some categories of DS, especially prenatal DS. DS containing these new forms of folate will be identified, purchased and tested for their content. The stability of the Methylfolate (MTHF) will be evaluated over the shelf-life of the 50 products purchased. Appropriate dosage forms will also be tested for their dosage form performance (disintegration and dissolution). In addition, all products will be tested for their ratio of L- (active form) to D-5-MTHF (inactive form) to identify any products that may contain a racemic mixture of the stereoisomers.
3) DS products will be analyzed for their choline content and we plan to test for disintegration and dissolution, as appropriate.
