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To the Editor: An estimated 20 million men worldwide have been prescribed sildenafil for erectile dysfunction, and there is a growing market in "natural" alternatives.¹ We analyzed the chemical content of one such product, Actra-R_x, which has been advertised as "100% natural."^2-6

Methods

We used mass spectrometry to analyze samples from a bottle of Niagra Actra-R_x and a bottle of Actra-R_x (Body Basics, Los Angeles, Calif) for the presence of sildenafil. The first bottle was purchased as an over-the-counter natural product in a local store. The second bottle was purchased directly from the vendor via the Internet (http://www.bodybasics.net) and was placed under a chain of custody to protect its integrity. A total of 3 random tablets were analyzed from each of the 2 bottles. The reference material, sildenafil citrate, was obtained from a 25-mg tablet purchased from a local pharmacy with a physician's prescription. Samples from both bottles . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Alberto J. Sabucedo, PhD
sabucedo@fiu.edu
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
International Forensic Research Institute

Mauricio A. Gutierrez, MA
School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Keith C. Mueller, BS; Brandi L. Bellissima, BS; Ya-Li Hsu, MS; Stefan Rose, MD; Kenneth G. Furton, PhD
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
International Forensic Research Institute
Florida International University
Miami