한경문 (식품의약품안전평가원)

김유경 (식품의약품안전평가원)

김현경 (식품의약품안전평가원)

한경문 (식품의약품안전평가원)

김유경 (식품의약품안전평가원)

김형수 (식품의약품안전평가원)

김현경 (식품의약품안전평가원)

In Korea, eyelash serums are not classified as functional cosmetics, but they are widely marketed with claims of providing nutrition and promoting longer, and richer lashes. There have been reports of side effects from the use of eyelash serum, such as bloodshot eyes and periorbital pigmentation. The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has raised concerns about prostaglandin analogs, such as bimatoprost, due to their potent pharmacological action. Canada has banned the use of prostaglandin analogs (e.g., bimatoprost, travoprost, and tafluprost) in eyelash products, and China also banned bimatoprost, travoprost, and tafluprost. In Korea, the use of bimatoprost, its salts, and derivatives are prohibited in cosmetics under the ‘Regulation on the Safety Standards, etc. of Cosmetics (No. 9/2024). Despite these regulatory efforts and safety concerns, structural analysis studies on these compounds remain insufficient. This study aimed to confirm the fragmentation patterns of 9 illegal eyelash growth compounds, including bimatoprost, travoprost, and tafluprost, in cosmetics using LC-Q-TOF-MS. Electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive ion mode was employed. Most target compounds exhibited a protonated molecular ion, [M+H]+. Furthermore, product ions were identified by varying the high-energy collision dissociation (HCD) energy, enabling the prediction of their fragmentation patterns. The proposed fragmentation patterns are expected to serve as a valuable reference for future research on prostaglandin analogs and their detection in cosmetic products.

Acknowledgement: This research was supported by a grant (24211MFDS245) from Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2025.