Abstract
Introduction
The consumption of dietary supplements is widespread due to the large group of people interested in supplementing their dietary intake with certain nutritional and bioactive substances. As having up-to-date information is important, the aim of this study is to describe the content of different groups of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activity, as well as the fatty acid profile in different dietary supplements products sold in the US market.
Methods
A total of sixteen samples were evaluated, comprising tablets, pills and powders. Bioactive compounds were determined by spectrophotometry, polyphenol profile was characterized by HPLC-DAD, and fatty acids profile was characterized by GC-FID.
Results
The results showed variability among the total polyphenol values (0.60–1490.96 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoids (3.94–185.21 mg RE/100 g), total anthocyanins (0.29–30.50 mg CE/100 g), and may vary depending on the ingredients reported. Antioxidant activity also varied among samples, according to DPPH and FRAP assay (up to 561.85 and 294.87 µmmol TE/g, respectively). Furthermore, a positive correlation between bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity was determined. Syringic acid and vanillin were the most abundant compounds among all samples (up to 6525 and 1839 mg/kg, respectively). About the fatty acid profile, tarwi-based protein powder samples showed a predominance of oleic acid (> 10%) followed by linoleic acid (5–6%).
Conclusions
The results offer an updated perspective on dietary supplements available in the US market, showing that their consumption supplements the intake of bioactive compounds and fatty acids, according to different presentations, without being excessive.
Introduction
The growing interest of the population in meeting nutritional requirements and the current difficulties (in a modern environment) of having a regular intake of nutrients through balanced food consumption make consumers look for safe and simple ways. Dietary supplements are products containing nutritionally important ingredients that are consumed orally as a complement to the regular diet; these ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, polyphenols, among others [1, 2].
Dietary supplements are widely consumed around the world, and their consumption has increased in the adult population [3], because of their significant health impact [4] related to the content of the above-mentioned ingredients, which might perform individually or synergistically. In terms of the global market for dietary supplements, it is estimated that by 2024 it was reached approximately 192.65 billion dollars, and from 2025 to 2033 it is expected to grow by 8.9% [5]. The most common presentations of these products include capsules, tablets, powders, and jellybeans, among others.
Although the range of options in the dietary supplement market is very wide and diverse, in most cases, the consumption of these products is not accompanied by the advice and supervision of a health and nutrition expert. This could have serious consequences for consumers due to side effects associated with excessive intake of some nutrients [6, 7]. Information backed by scientific evidence is in many cases not consulted or addressed by buyers, while information of lesser scientific relevance is widely and freely accessible. And not all nutritional supplements on the market today have scientific evidence to validate them, which may promote uninformed and indiscriminate consumption [8], a habit that has become widespread in recent years and has even become a public health problem in countries such as the United States [9].
The FDA oversees regulating the information provided on the labelling of dietary supplements, however, this information is in most cases limited to the nutritional content, leaving out some other compounds of interest, like bioactive compounds and its antioxidant activity. There are also practices of false or misleading information, or discrepancies, when components are included in labelling without supporting evidence [10]. In this sense, it is important to generate evidence that allows consumers and health professionals to be informed about the nutritional quality and its functional potential of some supplements available on the market. The available information covers enteral and parenteral supplementation products that are indicated under strict medical prescription [11], or oral supplementation specifically used in trials, or products not yet available on the market, but with interesting results [12]. Similarly, the functional potential of dietary supplements is usually due to the bioactive components present in their ingredients, such as polyphenols and their different structural groups, carotenoids, and fatty acids. And often, advertising or promotion of the functional benefits of a dietary supplement is based on the current state of the art in this area, rather than on analyses carried out on the products themselves. Therefore, information about the different groups of polyphenols contained in this product and their antioxidant activity is either limited or outdated. There are some studies on the bioactive content of oral supplements; however, most of them were conducted 10 or more years ago [13,14,15]. A recent study addresses these variables, but in fruit-based supplements, mainly sports drinks [16].
Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze and compare the content of bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic composition, as well as the antioxidant activity and fatty acid profile of dietary supplements sold in the United States market.
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Table 1. Description of the nutritional supplement products included in the study and their ingredients
From: In-depth analysis of bioactive compounds content, antioxidant activity and fatty acids profile of dietary supplements
| Samples code | Product | Ingredients | Supplement fact declared |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSF1 | Pure Chocho protein powder (original) | Chocho powder. | Essential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). |
| DSF2 | Chocho protein powder (cacao) | Chocho powder, organic cacao powder, organic coconut nectar, sea salt, organic monk fruit extract. | Essential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). |
| DSF3 | Chocho protein powder (cinnamon horchata) | Chocho powder, organic cacao powder, organic coconut blossom nectar, organic cinnamon, organic coconut milk, organic vanilla extract, sea salt, organic monk fruit extract. | Essential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). |
| DSF4 | Chocho protein powder (Vanilla) | Chocho powder, organic coconut blossom nectar, organic vanilla extract powder, sea salt, organic monk fruit extract. | Essential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). |
| DSF5 | Mint candies
(fresh mint) |
Sorbitol, natural flavors, magnesium stearate, spirulina extract for blue flakes, monk fruit extract, steviol glycosides. | Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, L-Theanine, natural caffeine. |
| DSF6 | Mint candies
(honey lemon) |
Sorbitol, xylitol, natural flavors, calcium stearate, turmeric extract for yellow color flakes, gum arabic. | L-theanine, vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol),
GABA. |
| DSF7 | Effervescent tablets (lemon lime) | Citric acid, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, natural flavors 2%, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide, calcium carbonate, stevia leaf extract, and curcuma. | |
| DSF8 | Effervescent tablets (caffeine) | Dextrose, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, natural flavor and less than 2% of potassium chloride, organic green tea leaf extract, magnesium oxide, beet juice (for color), calcium carbonate, malic acid, stevia leaf extract, avocado oil, spirulina extract (for color). | 40 mg of caffeine derived from green tea leaf extract. minerals Na, K, Mg, Ca and Cl. |
| DSF9 | Effervescent tablets (immunity flavors) | Dextrose, citric acid, natural flavor with other natural flavors, beet juice (for color), avocado oil, stevia leaf extract. | Vitamins A, C, D, & E, plus zinc and selenium, minerals Na, Cl, K, Mg and Ca. |
| DSF10 | Effervescent powder (pink lemonade) | Citric Acid, Dextrose, Sodium Bicarbonate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate, And Less Than 2% Of Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Stevia Leaf Extract, Avocado Oil, Beet Juice (for Color) | Minerals Ca, Mg, Cl. |
| DSF11 | Effervescent powder (strawberry-kiwi) | Dextrose, sodium citrate, citric acid, natural flavor, potassium citrate, stevia leaf extract and less than % of carrot juice concentrate (for color), calcium citrate, sea salt, hibiscus juice concentrate (for color), beta-carotene (for color). | Minerals Na, Ca, K, Mg, Cl. |
| DSF12 | Effervescent powder (berry lemonade) | Ancient sea salt, citric acid, natural flavors stevia leaf extract (Reb a), silicon dioxide, beet (beta vulgaris) root (Color). | Minerals Mg, Cl, Na, K, ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Complex. |
| DSF13 | Effervescent powder (watermelon) | Ancient utah sea salt, citric acid, natural flavors, stevia leaf extract (Reb a), silicon dioxide. | Minerals Na, K, Mg, ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Complex. |
| DSF14 | Effervescent powder (raspberry) | Magnesium Citrate, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Potassium Phosphate, Natural Raspberry Flavor (with other Natural Flavors), Potassium Aspartate, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Calcium Ascorbate, Calcium Citrate, Rebaudioside A (Organic Stevia Leaf Extract), Calcium Lactate, Color Blend (Beet Juice and Annatto Extract), Zinc Citrate and Manganese Citrate. | Minerals Ca, K, P, Mg, Zn, Cl, Mn, Vitamin C. |
| DSF15 | Effervescent powder (lemonade flavors) | Citric Acid, Magnesium Citrate, Potassium Phosphate, Natural Lemon Flavor (with other Natural Flavors), Potassium Aspartate, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Calcium Ascorbate, Calcium Citrate, Rebaudioside A (Organic Stevia Leaf Extract), Calcium Lactate, Zinc Citrate and Manganese Citrate. | Minerals Ca, K, P, Mg, Zn, Cl, Mn, Vitamin C. |
| DSF16 | Effervescent powder (pink lemonade) | Citric Acid, Magnesium Citrate, Potassium Phosphate, Natural Lemon and Raspberry Flavors (with other Natural Flavors), Potassium Aspartate, Salt (Sodium Chloride), Calcium Ascorbate, Calcium Citrate, Rebaudioside A (Organic Stevia Leaf Extract), Calcium Lactate, Color Blend (Beet Juice and Annatto Extract), Zinc Citrate, Manganese Citrate and Cherry Juice Powder. | Minerals Ca, K, P, Mg, Zn, Cl, Mn, Vitamin C. |
Muñoz, A.M., Anticona, M., Casimiro, S. et al. In-depth analysis of bioactive compounds content, antioxidant activity and fatty acids profile of dietary supplements. Discov Food 5, 386 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-025-00662-6
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