Simultaneous determination of 11 elements in Chinese herbal medicine by ICP-OES

Objective:To study the contents of 11 elements in 18 kinds of Chinese herbal medicine by ICP-OES,to understand the distribution features and correlation of these elements in different herbals,in order to provide basis for controlling the contents of relevant elements in Chinese herbal medicine and ensuring the quality safety of Chinese herbal medicine.Methods:Samples were digested by microwave digestion system,and 11 elements(Pb,Cd,Co,Cr,Ni,Cu,Mn,Fe,Zn,Ba,Al) were determined by ICP-OES,and the results were analyzed with SPSS 15.0.Results:Under the optimum conditions,the correlation coefficients of 11 elements were greater than 0.9999,the RSDs were less than 10%,and the recoveries were between 80.0%~120.0%.The contents of Al,Cr,Co,Cd,Cu,Fe,Mn,Ni and Zn showed significant correlation.The contents of Al,Cr,Fe,Mn,Ni and Zn showed specificity in some samples.The contents of Al,Ba,Fe in some samples showed abnormally high.Conclusion:The method was simple,precise,accurate,reliable and applicable for determination of elements in Chinese herbal medicine,which provided a method for safety and efficiency control of Chinese herbal medicine.