Safety evaluation of heavy metals contaminated Xiaochaihu Tang using health risk assessment model

Abstract

In order to further improve the quality and safety evaluation standards of traditional Chinese medicine compound preparation,Xiaochaihu Tang compound preparations were selected to analyze the pollution level of heavy metals deeply,and the potential health risks were evaluated under taking such kind of compound preparations. In this study,the contents of copper( Cu),arsenic( As),cadmium( Cd),mercury( Hg),and lead( Pb) in different Xiaochaihu Tang compound preparations were determinated by the method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry( ICP-MS). Moreover,combined with target hazard coefficient method and in vitro artificial system,the bioaccessibility and health risk level was investigated in three main consumption ways including powder,decoction and granule. The result was showed that,under the maximum residual limit set by International Standard Organization,only one batch of raw herb was eight times exceeded the Hg MRL,however,in water decoctions and granules,the heavy metal residue rate was reduced to 2. 02%( Hg in granules)-42. 85%( Cd in granules). So,the heavy metal pollutions and health risks can be reduced to safe region in spite of the serious pollution in raw herbs. Besides,the THQ and CR values of the three consumption methods were lower than the standard values of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of each heavy metal. It can be seen that even if the heavy metals in the raw herbs exceed the standard,the use of Xiaochaihu Tang decoction and granules can reduce the harm of heavy metals to the human body. Above all,the establishment of this health risk assessment model can be provided experimental basis and reference value for improving the safety evaluation standard of other heavy metals contained traditional Chinese medicine( TCM) compound preparations,and further improving the quality control methods of other different toxic compounds in clinical use.