Detection and Risk Assessments of Multi-Pesticides in Traditional Chinese Medicine Chuanxiong Rhizoma by LC/MS-MS and GC/MS-MS.

Delin Zhang,Min Li,Juan Zhou,Wei Liu,Xingyu Yu,Wen Yu,Mei Wang,Yan Gou

doi:10.3390/molecules27030622

Abstract

With the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and the increasing use of herbal medicines around the world, there are concerns over their safety. In recent years, there have been some sporadic reports of pesticide residues in Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX), although the lack of systematic and comprehensive analyses of pesticide residues and evaluations of toxicological risks in human health has increased the uncertainty of the potential effects of pesticides exposure in humans. This study aimed to clarify the status of pesticide residues and to determine the health risks of pesticide residues in CX. The findings of this study revealed that 99 batches of CX samples contained pesticide residues ranging from 0.05 to 3013.17 μg/kg. Here, 6–22 kinds of pesticides were detected in each sample. Prometryn, carbendazim, dimethomorph, chlorpyrifos, chlorantraniliprole, pyraclostrobin, and paclobutrazol were the most frequently detected pesticides, with detection rates of 68.69–100%. Insecticides and fungicides accounted for 43.23% and 37.84% of the total pesticides detected, respectively. Here, 86.87% of the pesticide content levels were lower than 50 μg/kg, and a small number of samples contained carbofuran, dimethoate, and isofenphos-methyl exceeding the maximum residue levels (MRLs). A risk assessment based on the hazard quotient/hazard index (HQ/HI) approach revealed that the short-term, long-term, and cumulative risks of pesticide residues in CX are well below the levels that may pose a health risk. Worryingly, six banned pesticides (carbofuran, phorate sulfone, phorate-sulfoxide, isofenphos-methyl, terbufos-sulfone, and terbufoxon sulfoxide) were detected. This study has improved our understanding of the potential exposure risk of pesticide multi-residues in CX. The results of the study will have a positive impact on improving the quality and safety of CX and the development of MRLs for pesticide residues.

Highlights

Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX), the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Umbelliferae), is one of the oldest and most popular herbal medicines in the world [1,2,3]
The results showed that pesticides in the production of CX were mainly used in four areas: seed soaking, weeding, growth regulation, and pest control
The limit of detection (LODs) range was estimated at 0.003–5 μg/kg and the limit of quantification (LOQ) range was 0.01–16.67 μg/kg according to the guidelines for validation and reproducibility

Summary

Introduction

Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX), the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Umbelliferae), is one of the oldest and most popular herbal medicines in the world [1,2,3]. CX is widely used in clinical medicine, recorded in the “Chinese pharmacopeia” (CP, 2020 version) [1] under the Chinese name “Chuan Xiong”. CX is widely used in health foods, cosmetics, feed additives, spice additives, and natural preservatives [4]. According to the 2017 Market Analysis report on the Circulation of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Materials released by the Ministry of Commerce of China, CX ranks 15th in in export of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), with an export volume of 4603.57 tons (http://sczxs.mofcom.gov.cn/article/gzdongtai/m/201806/2018060275940 8.shtml (accessed on 1 October 2021)). The commercialization of CX has increased rapidly due to its large-scale use in various sectors. Reduce the cost of manual weeding, and decrease the occurrence of pests and diseases, farmers usually apply pesticides for prevention and control.

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Conclusion