The analysis of heavy metals content in herbal infusions

• Authors: Bogdan Suchacz , Marek Wesolowski
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The content of 8 heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) was evaluated in infusions prepared from 13 different herbal compositions commercially available in drug or herbal stores. The mixtures were produced by a Polish manufacturer “Herbapol”. The concentration of heavy metals was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). In the herbal infusions Mn was found in the highest concentration varying from 3.03 to 129.01 mg/kg. The element of the lowest content was Cd in the range of 0.024–0.153 mg/kg. According to interquartile ranges the concentrations of studied heavy metals in infusions decreased in the following descending order: Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cr>Pb>Cd. Cluster analysis allowed for the division of herbal infusions into groups described by comparable levels of heavy metals. In water extracts made from Urosan, Nervosan, Infektoten and Cholagoga, distinctive levels of Mn, Fe and Cr were determined. According to WHO regulations, the concentrations of the elements did not exceed the allowable limits.

Keywords

EN

Herbal infusions; Heavy metals; Cluster analysis; Hierarchical classification

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Open Medicine
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 457-464

Dates

published

1 - 8 - 2012

online

24 - 5 - 2012

Contributors

author

Bogdan Suchacz

• Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdansk, Poland

author

Marek Wesolowski

• Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. J. Hallera 107, 80-416, Gdansk, Poland

References

• [1] Cohen PA, Ernst E, Safety of herbal supplements: a guide for cardiologists. Cardiovasc. Ther., 2010, 28, 246–253 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-5922.2010.00193.x[Crossref]
• [2] Wachtel-Galor S, Benzie IFF, Herbal Medicine: An Introduction to Its History, Usage, Regulation, Current Trends, and Research Needs. In: Herbal medicine: Biomolecular and clinical aspects, 2nd ed. Wachtel-Galor S, Benzie IFF (eds) CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2011, pp. 1–10 http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b10787[Crossref]
• [3] Gupta S, Pandotra P, Gupta AP, Dhar JK, Sharma G, Ram G, Husain MK. Bedi YS, Volatile (As and Hg) and non-volatile (Pb and Cd) toxic heavy metals analysis in rhizome of Zingiber officinale collected from different locations of North Western Himalayas by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Food Chem. Toxicol., 2010, 48, 2966–2971 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2010.07.034[Crossref][WoS]
• [4] Wong JWC, Heavy metal contents in vegetables in Hong Kong and its health risk implications. Toxicol. Environ. Chem., 1997, 60, 223–233 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02772249709358466[Crossref]
• [5] Barthwal J, Nair S, Kakkar P, Heavy metal accumulation in medicinal plants collected from environmentally different sites. Biomed. Environ. Sci., 2008, 21, 319–324 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0895-3988(08)60049-5[WoS][Crossref]
• [6] Olujohungbe A, Fields PA, Stanford AF, Hoffbrand AV, Heavy metal intoxication from homeopathic and herbal remedies. Postgrad. Med. J., 1994, 70, 764–769 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.70.828.764[Crossref]
• [7] Nwoko CO, Mgbeahuruike L, Heavy metal contamination of ready-to-use herbal remedies in South Eastern Nigeria. Pakistan J. Nutr., 2011, 10, 959–964 http://dx.doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2011.959.964[Crossref]
• [8] WHO guidelines on safety monitoring of herbal medicines in pharmacovigilance systems, World Health Organization Press, Geneva, 2004
• [9] Arceusz A, Radecka I, Wesolowski M, Identification of diversity in elements content in medicinal plants belonging to different plant families. Food Chem., 2010, 120, 52–58 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.09.068[WoS][Crossref]
• [10] Herber RFM, Stoeppler M, Trace element analysis in biological specimens, Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam 1994, pp. 321–557 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0167-9244(08)70157-4[Crossref]
• [11] WHO guidelines for assessing quality of herbal medicines with reference to contaminants and residues, World Health Organization Press, Geneva, 2007, pp. 24
• [12] Everitt BS, Landau S, Leese M, Stahl D, Cluster analysis, 5th ed, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470977811[Crossref]
• [13] Abonyi J, Feil B, Cluster Analysis for Data Mining and System Identification, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2007
• [14] Ong GH, Yap CK, Maziah M, Tan SG, Heavy metal accumulation in a medicinal plant Centella asiatica from Peninsular Malaysia. J. Biol. Sci., 2011, 11, 146–155 http://dx.doi.org/10.3923/jbs.2011.146.155[Crossref]
• [15] National Academy of Sciences, 2004. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI’s): Recommended Intakes for Individuals, Elements. Available at http://wwwn.nap.edu

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/s11536-012-0007-y