Statistical quality control of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, loss on drying, and hazardous heavy metals contained in the component medicinal herbs of “Ssanghwatang”, a widely used oriental formula in Korea

Abstract

To investigate the current quality control status of raw materials in "Ssanghwatang", a widely used oriental formula effective for fatigue recovery in Korea, 1024 samples of 9 herbs available in Seoul area markets were collected, and the contents of quality inspection items such as total ash, acid-insoluble ash, loss on drying, and hazardous heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Hg) were examined. Medicinal herbs requiring quality control, which may not meet the specifications and standards set by the Korea Food and Drug Administration, were selected using robust z-scores, a random variable. Among the quality control items, control of total ash content was required for the Ssanghwatang raw materials Cinnamomi Cortex, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Zingiberis Rhizoma, and Zizyphi Fructus; loss on drying for Cinnamomi Cortex; and heavy metal (Cd) for Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex, and Zingiberis Rhizoma. Additionally, acid-insoluble ash content revealed how many fine soil and sand particles are present in commercial medicinal herbs, which were correlated with heavy metals such as Pb (r = 0.528) and As (r = 0.342) in Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (p < 0.01).