Assessment of some chemical constituents in selected energy drinks in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

The study compared and evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and some chemical components of some energy drinks. Samples of five (5) different energy drink brands were bought at random. The physicochemical characteristics of all the samples (pH, turbidity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids), as well as the levels of aspartame, sugar, and caffeine, were examined. The physicochemical properties (pH, turbidity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids) were 4.47 ± 0.012 – 5.96 ± 0.012, 8 ± 0.577 – 592 ± 1.155 NTU, 2.21 ± 0.006 – 1975 ± 1.732 μs/cm, and 243 ± 0.577 – 1064 ± 0.577 mg/L, respectively. The values were found to be moderate and it was found to be within the FDA's suggested range. All energy drinks contained iron, calcium, zinc, and potassium, with concentrations ranging from 2.0 to 2500 mg/L, 2.763 ± 0.0009 - 19.310 ± 0.0015 mg/L, 0.045 ± 0.0001 - 13.887 ± 0.0037 mg/L, and 1.961 ± 0.0003 - 0.294 ± 0.0005 mg/L, respectively. Energy drinks had concentrations of copper, lead, and manganese ranging from 0.002 ± 0.0002 - 0.102 ± 0.0003 mg/L, 0.028 ± 0.0006 - 0.209 ± 0.0009 mg/L, and 0.003 ± 0.0001 - 0.024 ± 0.0002 mg/L, respectively. While lead had a value over the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.01 mg/L, copper and manganese concentrations were below the maximum contaminant level of 1.0 mg/L and 0.05 mg/L, respectively. With the exception of sample E, which had a value of 0.102 ± 0.0003 mg/L and was higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.005 mg/L, cadmium was not found in any energy drink. The concentrations of sugar, aspartame, and caffeine were 1.11 mg/L to 2487.13 mg/L, 6.51 mg/L to 1491.19 mg/L, and 16.98 mg/L to 1686.73 mg/L, respectively. The amounts of aspartame and caffeine in each energy drink sample were less than the FDA's recommended levels of 400 mg/L and 3000 mg/L, respectively. It is crucial to keep an eye on the consumption pattern of these drinks in order to reduce the risk of consuming excessive amounts of dangerous ingredients and avoid the side effects that have been documented.