Determination of cobalt in plasma blood samples by the ICP-MS method after oral intake of dietary supplements containing low doses of cobalt

Abstract

Salts of inorganic cobalt (Со) prevent the degradation of the alpha subunit of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), imitating the state of hypoxia in the body and increasing the production of the endogenous hormone erythropoietin (EPO), and are used as doping substances that increase blood oxygen capacity and endurance, which give competitive advantages in sports. Currently, a large number of dietary supplements, including Co-containing ones, are offered on free sale. Their uncontrolled intake can affect not only the professional career of athletes, but also their health, due to the fact that this trace element and its salts are the strongest inorganic poisons and carcinogens. Despite this, their availability on the pharmaceutical market, a noticeable effect of erythropoiesis stimulation and a convenient oral form of administration lead to the need for their detection in modern doping control.

The purpose of this research was to develop an approach to differentiate cobalt from vitamin B12, present in the body in its natural state, from the intake of cobalt salts by quantifying and comparing blood levels of vitamin B12 and total cobalt.

Methods. The study involved 9 healthy volunteers (women and men) aged 25 to 45 years, leading an active lifestyle. Three of them took 2500 μg/day of cobalamin for 20 days (comparison group), three – dietary supplement containing cobalt asparaginate (100 μg/day in terms of pure cobalt), and the rest - dietary supplements with cobalt sulfate heptahydrate (100 μg/day in terms of pure cobalt) (administration groups) at the same time after meals. Blood samples were taken at baseline and on days 5, 9, 14 and 20. The concentrations of total cobalt in blood plasma samples of volunteers were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS), the levels of cobalamin were determined on a Cobas 6000 immunochemical analyzer using the Elecsys Vitamin B12 II Assay ELISA kits.

Results. It was found that oral intake of of cobalamin at a therapeutic dose significantly exceeding the recommended daily intake (3 μg), there was a regular slight increase in the blood concentration of total cobalt (1.1 times). At the same time intake of dietary supplements containing cobalt in the form of sulfate or asparaginate (about 100 μg per day in terms of pure cobalt) was accompanied by 4–6.7 fold increase in the concentration of total cobalt while unchanged vitamin B12 plasma concentration was observed. The detection of such changes can reliably indicate the use of prohibited salts and, of course, will be in demand for anti-doping control.

Conclusion. Long-term monitoring of vitamin B12 and total cobalt levels, similar to hematological module of the Athlete Biological Passport program, will unambiguously detect possible abuse of cobalt salts and can be an additional evidence of the presence of these doping substances to other analytical methods, such as a combination of liquid chromatography and ICP-MS (LC-ICP-MS).

Keywords:cobalt, vitamin B12, dietary supplements, ELISA, ICP-MS, doping control, erythropoiesis stimulants

Funding. The research did not have sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Contribution. Concept and design of the study Postnikov P.V.; collecting and processing the material – Postnikov P.V., Turin I.A.; statistical processing, systematization and processing of the obtained results –Postnikov P.V., Ordzhonikidze Z.G., Badtieva V.A.; text writing editing –Postnikov, P.V. approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article – all authors.

Acknowledgments. The authors would like to thank all the volunteers who took part in this study and the employees of Euroanalytika Ltd, Commercial Director Artem G. Krasnoshchek and Andrey E. Sereda, Head of the Elemental Analysis Department, for their assistance in carrying out the research.

For citation: Postnikov P.V., Ordzhonikidze Z.G., Badtieva V.A., Turin I.A., Pavlov V.I. Determination of cobalt in plasma blood samples by the ICP-MS method after oral intake of dietary supplements containing low doses of cobalt. Voprosy pitaniia [Problems of Nutrition]. 2022; 91 (6): 92–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/0042-8833-2022-91-6-92-101 (in Russian)

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CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF EDITOR
Viktor A. Tutelyan
Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Scientific Director of the Federal Research Centre of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety (Moscow, Russia)

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