Multi‐element determination in Schisandra chinensis fructus by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and the study of element transfer rules from herbs to decoctions

Abstract

AbstractSchisandra chinensis (S. chinensis) fructus (SCF), an important medical and edible herbal medicine, is widely distributed in Northern China, Korea and Japan. The quality control of SCF is becoming more important with the increasing consumption of the fruit as dietary supplement. In the present study, we aim to investigate the heavy metal residues in SCF as well as the transfer rules of heavy metals from raw SCF to the processed SCF. Different batches of SCF were investigated, including three harvest periods of SCF. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry combined with microwave digestion was applied for the determination of 12 elements in SCF. Besides, certified national level standard reference material CRM Astragalus (GBW 10028, GSB‐19) was used to assess the accuracy of the method. The results showed that, the contents of lead (prophase), mercury (prophase and metaphase) and cadmium (metaphase and anaphase) in SCF exceeded the limits set by Green Trade Standards of Importing & Exporting Medicinal Plants & Preparations. Besides, the contents of the most elements in prophase were significantly higher than that in metaphase and anaphase (p<0.05). In addition, the contents of the elements were reduced after extracting, and the transfer ratios of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and copper were all below 30%. In conclusion, the results indicated that extracting as well as processing can reduce the intake of heavy metals, and that metaphase and anaphase are more suitable harvest times than prophase for SCF.