In the present study 15 samples of Chinese therapeutic foods and herbs that are frequently consumed by people in both the East and West are analyzed, for the content of cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic, cuprum and zinc, by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that the highest mean value for Cd(0.49 mg•kg-1), Hg(0.34 mg•kg-1), Pb(9.01 mg•kg-1), As(3.26 mg•kg-1), Cu(33.56 mg•kg-1) and Zn(38.32 mg•kg-1) were found in Radix Salviae Miltitorrhizae, Radix Puerariae, Radix Salviae Miltitorrhizae , Radix Sophorae Flavescentis , Fructus Crataegi , Herba andrographis , respectively. The Cd levels of two samples and Cu levels of one sample were found to be higher than the recommended values of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO), and may constitute a health hazard for consumers. Mercury, lead, and arsenic levels of one sample were higher than the recommended limit of China Pharmacopoeia, but it were below the WHO and FDA. All other heavy metals in other medicinal plants were found below the recommended tolerable limits.
SHU-MEI LI, YANG FANG, HONG-MEI NING AND YING XIA WU