Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 04
The purpose of this presentation was to show our approach to the analysis of herbal remedies sent for toxicological assessment. As a rule, identification of compounds or elements was based of mass spectrometric techniques.
For general screening for organic compounds, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was applied after extraction of herbal material with appropriate solvents. Full-scan mass spectrometry in the range m/z 50 to m/z 1500 was applied in electron impact mode using a temperature programme. This technique was used for the identification of harmful natural compounds as well as some adulterants. For selective screening for synthetic adulterants, liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry in positive and negative ionisation mode was applied. A library of over 60 drugs often found as adulterants of herbal remedies was developed. These drugs were grouped in ‘suites’ according to application (e.g. weight reducer suite, comprising phenethylamines, laxatives and diuretics, and aphrodisiac suite, comprising sildenafil, taldenafil, yohimbine and cantharidine). For the quantification of toxic metals (As, Pb, Hg, Tl and Cd) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied after acid hydrolysis in a microwave oven. This technique was used alternatively with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Microbiological examination of herbal remedies was also performed.
The described approach was used in everyday work for over 10 years (GC–MS and ICP-MS) and in the last year liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry has been included. Numerous samples containing harmful or carcinogenic compounds as well as synthetic adulterants have been disqualified from use. Herbal samples were in particular often contaminated with toxic metals and microorganisms.
