Elemental Analysis of Some Heavy Metals in Hijamah and Venous Blood Samples

Abstract

Introduction: Hijamah as one famous therapeutic method used in traditional and new medicine can be done by special cups for sucking blood in wet and dry cupping therapy. The excessive use of minerals in various fields of life has become a threat to human health as they can accumulate in the body and lead to several chronic diseases. Objective: This study was done to know the ability of wet hijamah on ridding the body of trace minerals and comparing the concentration of investigated elements with that found in venous blood samples. Methods: The blood samples were collected from 18 volunteers. The samples were digested at ~65 ⁰C using a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of (2:1), and then an inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentration of trace elements iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). Relationships between the studied blood samples were examined using SPSS statistical software. Results: It was noted that some trace elements in hijamah and venous had statistically significant differences were Fe, Ni, Cd, Zn, Al, Cu, and Pb, where the values of p (< 0.0001, 0.046, 0.024, 0.005, 0.009, 0.024, and 0.012 respectively). While the other elements did not show statistically significant differences, namely, Cr and Co, at p 0.263, and 0.416, respectively. Conclusion: The study showed that wet hijamah can be safely applied to reduce the levels of trace elements in the blood. It may be useful for people who work in jobs where the accumulation of toxic elements in their bodies is possible.