Determination of Trace Heavy Metals Contained in the Ten Commercial Chinese Herbs

• Main Authors: Pao-Li Lo, 羅寶麗
• Other Authors: Chien-Chih Yu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/41166953839660649991

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 藥學研究所碩士在職專班 === 92 === Six heavy metal trace elements (As, Hg, Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn) in general Chinese herbs were analyzed by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). Ten Chinese herbs were focused and studied by a variety of methods (appearance observation, microscopic examination of tissue pieces, and thin layer chromatography) for the quality and matrix confirmation. In addition, the amounts variation of the six heavy metal trace elements in the herbs planted in north, middle, and south Taiwan were investigated. Our results revealed that all the amounts of the 6 trace elements contained in the 10 Chinese herbs are lower than the safety cutoff values set among countries, but are quite variable. The highest amount of the heavy metals of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, As, and Hg was detected from Flos Lonicerae (14.85ppm), Radix Dipsaci(6.95ppm), Radix Dipsaci(0.37ppm), Radix Dipsaci (36.34ppm), Cordyceps (3.07ppm), and Radix Ginseng (0.09ppm), respectively On the other hand, the largest amount of heavy metal contained in the 10 individual Chinese herb was as described: Radix Ginseng(Zn, 15.94ppm), Cordyceps (Cu, 11.26ppm), Flos Lonicerae(Zn, 33.63ppm), Radix Paeoniae Alba(Cu, 3.77ppm), Radix Glycyrrhizae(Cu, 6.76ppm), Cortex Cinnamomi(Pb, 2.08ppm), Radix Angelicae Dahuricae(Zn, 19.23ppm), Rhizoma Notopterygii(Zn, 20.36ppm), Radix Dipsaci(Zn, 36.34ppm), and Radix et Rhizoma Rhei (Zn, 5.66ppm). Interestingly, the heavy metal detected from the 10 herbs with highest value was found to be Zn (60%, 6 out of 10) and Cu (30%, 3 out of 10). The largest value of sum-up amount of the 6 metals was identified to be Flos Lonicerae (totally, 55.55ppm) and Radix Dipsaci (totally, 54.59ppm). The amount variation of the 6 metals contained in the 10 herbs was also found to be the Flos Lonicerae and the Radix Dipsaci. Key word: Chinese herbs (Chinese medicine), thin layer chromatography, heavy metal trace elements, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer