Applied Analytical Methods for Detecting Heavy Metals in Medicinal Plants

Abstract

For thousands of years, medicinal plants (MPs) have been one of the main sources of drugs worldwide. However, recently, heavy metal pollution has seriously affected the quality and safety of MPs. Consuming MPs polluted by heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, and Cu significantly threaten the health of consumers. To manage this situation, the levels of heavy metals in MPs must be controlled. In recent years, this field has attracted significant attention, but few researchers have systematically summarized various analytical methods. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate methods that can accurately and effectively detect the amount of heavy metals in MPs. Herein, some important analytical methods used to detect heavy metals in MPs and their applications have been introduced and summarized in detail. These include atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic fluorescence spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, neutron activation analysis, and anodic stripping voltammetry. The characteristics of these methods were subsequently compared and analyzed. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and disposable electrochemical sensors have also been used for heavy metal detection in MPs. To elucidate the systematic and comprehensive information, these methods have also been briefly introduced in this review.

Keywords:

• Analytical methods
• heavy metals
• medicinal plants
• quality control

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by 2019 Chinese medicine public health service subsidy special “the fourth survey on Chinese materia medica resource” (grant No. Finance Society [2019] 39), China Agriculture Research System (grant No. CARS-21).

Notes on contributors

Chunyan Guo

Chunyan Guo mainly studies pharmaceutical analysis, the development and protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources, and the insect resistance of natural products. She often does some analytical chemistry experiments and plant insect resistance experiments, and has some related work experience. Research Interests: Pharmaceutical analysis; Natural products chemistry; Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Insect resistance of natural products.

Lijuan Lv

Lijuan Lv graduated from Inner Mongolia Medical College with a major in phytochemistry in 2004, graduated from Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a major in drug analysis in 2007, and obtaining doctor’s degree in drug analysis from Peking Union Medical College in 2010. She has been engaged in biopharmaceuticals. Since 2012, she has worked in Tianjin Agricultural College. She has participated in many scientific research projects and achieved good results.

Yuchao Liu

Yuchao Liu mainly studies the pharmacological effects and health functions of natural products. He often conducts some in vivo and in vitro pharmacological experiments and has some relevant work experience. Research Interests: Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Natural products.

Mingyue Ji

Mingyue Ji mainly studies in research of in vivo and in vitro pharmacological effects, data mining, and the development and protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources. Research Interests: Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Pharmacology.

Erhuan Zang

Erhuan Zang mainly studies the chemistry of natural products, molecular identification of medicinal plants, development and protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources. She often does some basic chemical experiments and molecular identification experiments and has some related work experience. Research Interests: Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Natural products chemistry.

Qian Liu

Qian Liu mainly studies the chemistry of natural products, molecular identification of medicinal plants, development and protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources. She often does some basic chemical experiments and molecular identification experiments and has some related work experience. Research Interests: Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Natural products chemistry.

Min Zhang

Min Zhang mainly studies the chemistry of natural products, molecular identification of medicinal plants, development and protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources. She often does some basic chemical experiments, molecular identification experiments, study on stress resistance of medicinal plants and has some related work experience. Research Interests: Protection of Chinese and Mongolian medicine resources; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Natural products chemistry.

Minhui Li

Minhui Li was graduated from Inner Mongolia medical college with a major in phytochemistry in 2005 and obtaining doctor’s degree in pharmacognosy from Peking union medical college in 2008. He has been engaged in the protection of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) resources, content determination of Mongolian crude drugs, molecular biological identification, quality control and safety evaluation of Mongolian medicines. Since 2008, he has presided over more than 98 national, provincial and local projects. What’s more, he has published more than 232 papers in domestic and foreign journals, of which 82 articles have been indexed by SCI. He has been in the Editorial Board of many international journals such as BioMed Research International, Neural Regeneration Research, Modern Chinese Medicine and China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica. Research Interests: Traditional Chinese Medicine; Natural products chemistry; Ethnopharmacology.