As the popularity of the natural mood-enhancing properties of sceletium alkaloids increases, the volume of products containing these compounds will increase, and therefore also the need for robust and selective methods for determining the concentration of alkaloids within these products.

The team at Eurofins Craft Technologies has developed and validated a HPLC-DAD method for the determination of sceletium alkaloids in powders, capsule fills, and tablets.

Join our webinar to learn more about this innovative new method.

Key Highlights

• History and Discovery – The plant containing natural sceletium alkaloids, Sceletium tortuosum, has traditionally used by South African tribes for its mood-lifting, stress-relieving, and tranquilizing properties. Indigenous people would medicate by steeping, smoking, or chewing the plant.
  
  
• Method Overview – The HPLC analysis technique is reverse phase gradient elution, employing a USP(L1) C18 column and photodiode array detection. The HPLC system is calibrated with purified mesembrine-type alkaloids isolated from the plant Sceletium tortuosum.
  
  
• Pharmacological Effects – Studies in animals have found that sceletium alkaloids invoke a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression, while also providing evidence for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
  
  
• Growth in Popularity – As people from western societies are leaning towards traditional and holistic treatments, manufacturers are incorporating these alkaloids into their products to market and supply the demand for these natural remedies.

About Sceletium Alkaloids

Sceletium alkaloids have recently been explored as a commercial supplement due to its function of enhancing mood, decreasing anxiety and stress, and improving cognitive function.

These alkaloids are naturally found in and can be derived from the flowering succulent plant, Sceletium tortuosum, native to South Africa. In fact, this plant has been used in traditional medicine in many South African tribes for centuries.

As the mindset of consumers from all over the world have shifted from focusing on western medicinal practices to a more traditional and holistic approach to treatments, products containing sceletium alkaloids, such as the trademarked plant extract Zembrin®, have been of rising interest as an alternative to prescription drugs, such as SSRI's and benzodiazepines. 

Meet the Presenters

Anna Wurz has a BS in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD in biological chemistry from East Carolina University where her research focused on optogenetic protein regulation. Getting her start in analytical testing in the pharmaceutical industry, she transitioned to vitamins and carotenoids in foods, supplements, and biologics and is currently the department manager at Eurofins Craft Technologies.

Cara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola University New Orleans and an MBA from Tulane University. With over 11 years of experience at Eurofins, she began her career in Client Services at the Contaminants Lab in New Orleans, LA. She later transitioned into a specialized role focusing on carotenoids and phytochemicals, where she continues to support clients with expert insight and tailored analytical solutions.

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