Determination of Curcuminoids in Turmeric Dietary Supplements by HPLC-DAD: Multi-laboratory Study through the NIH-ODS/NIST Quality Assurance Program

Background: Turmeric is a medicinal herb containing curcuminoids, used as quality markers in dietary supplements. In 2016, an AOAC First Action Official Method(SM) was adopted for quantitation of curcuminoids and requires multi-laboratory reproducibility data for Final Action status. Objective: To collect reproducibility data for the quantitation of curcuminoids in dietary supplements through the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements/National Institute of Standards and Technology Quality Assurance Program (QAP). Method: Laboratories that participated in the QAP by following the Official Methods of Analysis(SM) Method 2016.16, submitted data for ten turmeric products. The data were analyzed for mean, repeatability, and reproducibility standard deviations, repeatability, and reproducibility. Results: The initial data collection resulted in insufficient replicates (five) for each test sample to determine reproducibility, therefore laboratories were provided additional materials resulting in an incremental data approach. For homogenous products, reproducibility for curcumin ranged from 3.4 to 10.3%, bisdemethoxycurcumin with reproducibility ranging from 6.4 to 14.8%, and demethoxycurcumin ranging from 5.6 to 9.9%. The method was unsuitable for the quantitation of curcuminoids in complex smoothie products, products containing microbeads, or tinctures based on interlaboratory variances. Recommendations were provided for future multi-laboratory studies performed through QAPs and incremental approaches. Conclusions: Method 2016.16 is suitable for the quantitation of curcuminoids and should be adopted for Final Action status for single and multi-ingredient dietary supplements containing dried roots, dried powders/extracts in bulk material, capsules, and softgels. Highlights: Reproducibility for Method 2016.16 was collected through a non-traditional incremental data multi-laboratory study. The method is suitable for quantitation of curcuminoids in most common dietary supplements.