Abstract
Ginseng is an important traditional herbal medicine; however, ginseng root may contain pesticide residues that may cause adverse health effects to consumers. Generally, people are more inclined to take the household- or industrial-processed ginseng products, instead of eating them directly. To investigate the intake of pesticides along with ginseng more specifically, we simulated two household processing methods (boiling and brewing) and two industrial processing methods (ethanol refluxing and boiling combined with resin purification) and then calculated the transfer rates of five organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in ginseng. The determination of targeted pesticide residues in ginseng was done by gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD), and the confirmation was done by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS). The transfer rates of five OCPs during boiling, brewing, ethanol refluxing, and boiling combined with resin purification were 3.44%–34.43%, 1.47%–38.12%, 34.81%–57.0%, and 0–2.91%, respectively. The transfer rates of the OCPs in water extraction (boiling and brewing) were relatively low and would not increase significantly along with two hours of boiling. The OCPs were concentrated during the ethanol refluxing procedure because of the high transfer rates of the OCPs and the reduction of the weight of products. The boiling combined with resin purification method removed the OCPs most effectively. Different ginseng processing methods resulted in variable transfer rates of pesticides, as well as a diverse exposure risk of pesticides to humans. Consequently, it is necessary to concern about the transfer rates of pesticide residues during ginseng processing.
Highlights
IntroductionA. Mey. has been used as a nourishing and tonifying remedy for thousands of years in eastern Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan [1], and is currently distributed to 35 countries around the world [2]
To investigate the transfer behavior of the organochlorine pesticide (OCP) scientifically, we need ginseng samples containing OCPs that were derived from field spraying during its process of growth. erefore, batches of 6-year ginseng were collected from different local plantations in northeastern China, which is the main ginseng production area of China [24]. e concentrations of OCPs in these batches of ginseng were determined by gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and GC-MS/MS. en, we found one batch of ginseng containing a considerable amount of OCPs (hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), α-BHC, c-BHC, and δ-BHC)
In the autumn of 2017, about 10 kg of fresh ginseng root was harvested from the local ginseng plantation where we found the batch of ginseng containing a considerable amount of OCPs; it was dried at 30∼40°C. e dried ginseng root was cut into slight pieces, followed by mixing homogeneously, and raw ginseng was obtained. e raw ginseng was stored in plastic bags at − 20°C for pesticide residue determination and performing four processing methods. e whole processing and pesticide residue determination procedure were finished within two months
Summary
A. Mey. has been used as a nourishing and tonifying remedy for thousands of years in eastern Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan [1], and is currently distributed to 35 countries around the world [2]. In modern clinical medicine validation, ginseng is a nourishing drug that stimulates blood vessels, regulates nerves, promotes appetite, calms the brain, relieves fatigue, boosts metabolism, and enhances liver detoxification [3, 4]. With the enhancement of people’s self-care awareness and the improvement of their quality of life, ginseng is widely used in medicine and clinics and in the cosmetics, food, beverage, and health care products [5,6,7]. [8], in 2018, the total ginseng production by China was 38,567 tons.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
