TABLE 10.
Application of ICP-MS in the determination of heavy metal elements in Chinese patent medicine.
| Name | Medical system | The Main medicinal materials | Therapeutic use | Main pharmacological effects | Test results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astragalus mongholicus injections | Traditional Chinese medicine | Astragalus mongholicus Bunge | Viral myocarditis with blood stasis, cardiac insufficiency, hepatitis | Reducing blood sugar, blood lipid, protecting liver, and anti-tumor | The contents of Pb, As, Cu, Cd, and Hg in Astragalus mongholicus injections were determined. The correlation coefficient of standard curve r > 0.997, the recovery was 92.6%–100.5%, RSD < 2.9% (Shi et al., 2013) |
| Banxia syrup | Traditional Chinese medicine | Aster tataricus L.f., Citrus deliciosa Ten., Ephedra equisetina Bunge, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino, Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC., Polygala tenuifolia Willd., Rhaphiolepis bibas (Lour.) Galasso & Banfi | Cough, phlegm, bronchitis | Bacteriostasis | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cu, and Cr in banxia syrup were determined. The linear relationship of each element to be tested is good, r ≥ 0.9970, the detection limit is 0.3–15.2 ng·g−1, the recovery is 90.4%–98.7%, RSD ≤ 5.8% (Zheng et al., 2018) |
| Biejiajian pill | Traditional Chinese medicine | Iris domestica (L.) Goldblatt & Mabb., Carapax trionycis Wiegmann, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi | Chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, angina pectoris, hyperlipidemia | Anti-renal fibrosis and anti-tumor | The contents of Pb, As, Hg, Cr, and Cu in Biejiajian pills were determined. The ratio of mass concentration to ion peak showed a good linear relationship (r = 0.9997, 0.9999), and the RSD of precision, stability, and repeatability were less than 2%. The average recovery was 96.7%–100.9%, RSD was < 4% (n = 6), and the detection limits were 2.2, 8.0, 0.7, 1.5, and 5.0 μg/kg (Qiu, 2015) |
| Chapter song bawei aquilaria powder | Tibetan medicine | Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng., Frankincense, Guangzao, Kapok, Myristica fragrans Houtt., Terminalia chebula Retz., Travertine, Woody fragrance | Acute and chronic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension | Anti hypoxia | The contents of Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Zn, Mo, Fe, and Ni in chapter song bawei aquilaria powder were determined. The contents of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ni are high, whereas the contents of other elements are low (Jin et al., 2009) |
| Danshen Chuanxiong injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Ligustrazine hydrochloride, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge | Angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, thromboangiitis obliterans | Anti-blood stasis | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Ni in six batches of Danshen Chuanxiong injection were determined. The linear relationship between the eight elements and the peak area is good in their linear range, R ≥ 0.9990, the detection limit is 0.0099–0.2199 ng·mL−1, the average recovery of each element is 86.90–104.8%, and the RSD is less than 5% (Cheng et al., 2018) |
| Dejunmang juequemao | Tibetan medicine | Bear bile, Calculus bovis, Coralline, Crocus sativus L., iron gray, Lapis lazuli, Musk, Zogta | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer, food poisoning | Clearing away heat and toxic material | The contents of 20 elements of Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Au, Hg, and Pb in Tibetan medicine Dejunmangjuequemao were determined. The detection limit of each element is 0.0033–2.418 μg·g−1, and the recovery is 87.27–106.5% (Rezeng et al., 2016a) |
| Ermiao pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC., Phellodendron amurense Rupr. | Foot and knee swelling and pain, flaccidity syndrome, wet sore, eczema, erysipelas, leucorrhea | Anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic | The residues of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Ermiao pills were determined. The RSD values were 1.1%, 0.3%, 0.8%, 0.5%, and 0.8%, all less than 2% (Zhang et al., 2013) |
| Fufang Danshen tablets | Traditional Chinese medicine | Borneol, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge | Coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus, and its complications | Anti-cerebral ischemia, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, anti-osteoporosis | The contents of Pb, As, Cu, Cd, and Hg in Fufang Danshen tablets were determined. The minimum detection limits of five elements were 6.5 ng·g−1, 2.3 ng·g−1, 5.9 ng·g−1, 4.7 ng·g−1 and 0.91 ng·g−1, respectively. The linear relationship was good in each concentration range (r > 0.9980). The recoveries were 102.8%, 105.1%, 104.5%, 106.8%, 92.4%, and RSD were 2.1% and 2.5%, respectively 8%, 1.9%, 2.2%, 3.4% (n = 9) (Wu, 2016) |
| Fufang Dilong capsule | Traditional Chinese medicine | Achyranthes bidentata Blume, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Conioselinum anthriscoides “Chuanxiong,” Pheretima asiatica Perrier. | Syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis in the recovery period of meridians in ischemic stroke | Anti-cerebral ischemia | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in the Fufang Dilong capsule were determined. The linear relationship between the determined elements is good (r > 0.9995), and the recovery is between 98.8% and 105.4% (Zou, 2016) |
| Ganmao Qingre granules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC., Pueraria edulis Pamp. | Cold, fever, headache | Antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory | The contents of 14 common metal elements of Mg, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ca, Zn, As, Se, Ni, Cu, Sb, Cd, Ba, and Pb in Ganmao Qingre granules were determined. The correlation coefficient r > 0.9991, the recovery was 80.59%–102.43%, and the relative standard deviation RSD was 0.35%–2.74% (Liu, 2017) |
| Guzhecuoshang capsules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Boswellia sacra Flück., Carthamus tinctorius L., Cucumber-seed, Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker, Myrrh, Natural copper, Pig bone, Rheum tanguticum (Maxim. ex Regel) Balf. | Traumatic injury, detumescence and blood stasis, twisting waist, and bifurcating Qi | Promoting bone healing | The contents of Pb, Cd, Cu, As, and Hg in the fracture contusion capsule were determined. The mass concentrations of the five elements have a good linear relationship with the response intensity in the linear range. The average recovery is 97.4%–102.7%, and the RSD is less than 3.5% (n = 6) (Kong et al., 2020) |
| Guipi pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf., Dimocarpus longan Lour. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf., Polygala tenuifolia Willd., Ziziphus jujuba Mill. | Deficiency of both heart and spleen, Palpitation and palpitation caused by spleen not regulating blood | Anti-shock, regulating central nerve, enhancing immune and hematopoietic function | The contents of Cu, Pb, Hg, As, and Cd in Guipi pills were determined. The correlation coefficients of the measured elements and calibration curves are 0.9999, and the linear relationship is good. The average recovery of the method is 90.3%–103.6%, and the RSD is 1.6%–3.9% (Zhu et al., 2017) |
| Guizhi Fuling capsules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Paeonia × suffruticosa Andrews, Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch | Ovarian cyst, endometriosis, hysteromyoma, dysmenorrhea | Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-tumor, regulating smooth muscle, regulating endocrine, and improving immunity | 1) The contents of Pb, Cu, As, Cd, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Tl in Guizhi Fuling Capsule and five medicinal materials of Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Paeonia × suffruticosa Andrews were determined. The linear relationship is good, and the correlation coefficient R 2 ≥ 0.9993. The detection limit of the method is 0.016–4.593 μg·L−1, and the experimental repeatability is good. The recovery of the sample was 75.84%–118.9% (Wang et al., 2014b) |
| 2) The contents of 29 inorganic elements of Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi in 12 batches of Guizhi Fuling capsules were determined. The contents of Ca, Na, and Mg are high, all exceeding 300 μg/g. The contents of Fe, Mn, and SR are also relatively high, whereas the contents of harmful elements of Be, As, Cd, Sb, Hg, Tl, and Bi are relatively low, all below 0.030 μg/g (Kang et al., 2018) | |||||
| Hanshuishi Ershiyiwei powder | Mongolian medicine of China | Cow bezoar, Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, Hanshuishi, Hippophae rhamnoides L., Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng., Punica granatum L., Trogopterus dung, Viola philippica Cav.Wurfbainia villosa (Lour.) Skornick. & A. D. Poulsen | Chest and back pain, Qi stagnation and blood stasis, blood heat-trapping stomach | Anti-gastric ulcer | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Hanshuishi Ershiyiwei Powder were determined. The mass concentrations of the five elements were in the range of 0–100 ng/ml and had a good linear relationship with the response value of the reference peak (r > 0.997). The average recovery was 87.90%–97.63%, and the RSD was 1.52%–2.35%. The detection limits of five metal elements are 0.004 4–0.0551 ng/ml (Mao and Chen, 2020) |
| Honghua injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Carthamus tinctorius L. | Coronary heart disease, occlusive vascular disease | Anti-stress | The contents of Cr, Cu, Zn, Mo, Pb, Ba, B, and Al in the Honghua injection were determined. The correlation coefficient of the standard curve of eight elements is 0.9933–0.9999. The average recovery was 90.7%–106.5% (RSD% was 1.2%–4.1%) (Peng et al., 2020) |
| Licorice oral solution | Traditional Chinese medicine | Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. | Cough and expectoration caused by upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, and cold | Anti-inflammatory | The contents of Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Hg, Pb, Al, and Fe in Licorice oral solution were determined. The linear relationship of 15 elements is good, the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.999, the detection limit of each element is 0.08–38.00 ng·mL−1, and the recovery is 88.57%–107.10% (n = 6) (Li et al., 2019c) |
| Manubzhithang | Tibetan medicine | Inula helenium L., Rubus biflorus Buch.-Ham. ex Sm., Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr., Zingiber officinale Roscoe | In the early stage of influenza, chills, headache, arthralgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and fever | Antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic | The contents of Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, and As in Manubzhithang were determined. The detection limit of each element is 0.003–0.095 μg·g−1, and the recovery is 90%–105% (Rezeng et al., 2010) |
| Montmorillonite Powder | Traditional Chinese medicine | Montmorillonite | Chronic diarrhea | Cover the mucous membrane of the digestive tract and bind with mucus protein | The contents of Pb, Cd, Hg, Co, V, Ni, and As in montmorillonite powder were determined. The seven heavy metal elements have a good linear relationship at 0–30 ng/ml, 0–1 ng/ml, 0–6 ng/ml, 0–10 ng/ml, 0–20 ng/ml, 0–40 ng/ml, and 0–4 ng/ml, respectively. The RSD of precision were 4.91%, 5.39%, 10.00%, 4.78%, 5.93%, 4.67%, and 6.91%, respectively. The RSD of stability were 5.64%, 5.12%, 10.94%, 3.68%, 4.97%, 4.31%, and 7.06% respectively (Huang et al., 2019) |
| Niuhuang Qingwei pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Calculus bovis, Citrus × aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle, Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Mentha canadensis L., Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., Phellodendron chinense C. K. Schneid., Rheum palmatum L., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. | Heartburn, dizziness, sore tongue, swollen gums, sore throat, constipation | Antibacterial, antiviral, and cardiovascular protection | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Niuhuang Qingwei pills were determined. Cd and Cu did not exceed the standard, and the exceeding rates of Pb, As, and Hg were 12%, 12%, and 14%, respectively (Nie et al., 2019) |
| Qishiwei Zhenzhu pills | Tibetan medicine | Agate, Aquilaria malaccensis Lam., Bezoar, Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin, Coral, Crocus sativus L., Dalbergia odorifera T. C. Chen, Gold, Musk, Myrobalan, Opal, Pearl, Saiga tatarica Linnaeus, Santalum album L., Silver, Zuotai | “Baimai” disease, stroke, paralysis, hemiplegia, cerebral bemorrhage | Anticonvulsant and hypotensive | Determination of 18 trace elements of Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Sr, Ag, Cd, Cs, Ba, Pb, Au, and Hg in Qishiwei Zhenzhu pills. The rank order of the elements in Qishiwei Zhenzhu pills was copper > mercury > lead from high to low, with the mass fraction higher than 6,000 μg/kg. The mass fractions of argentum, arsenic, manganese, aurum, strontium, barium, chromium, and nickel were in the range of 33–1,034 μg/kg. The mass fractions of vanadium, cobalt, lithium, beryllium, cadmium, scandium, and cesium were lower than 10 μg/kg (Fu et al., 2022) |
| Qiangli Pipa syrup | Traditional Chinese medicine | Menthol, Morus alba, Papaver somniferum L., Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A.DC., Rhaphiolepis bibas (Lour.) Galasso & Banfi, Stemona sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq. | Bronchitis, cough | Anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, antiviral, and anti-tumor | The contents of 20 inorganic elements of Li, Be, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Tl, and Pb in Qiangli Pipa syrup were determined. The average recovery was 86.2%–104.9%, the corresponding RSD was 0.55%–9.21%, and the detection limit was 0.01–5.94 ng/ml. The average contents of Sr, Mn, Ba, Rb, and Zn in 19 batches of Qiangli Pipa syrup were the highest (Lu et al., 2020) |
| Qinghuo Chimai tablets and capsules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl. | Sore throat, fever, toothache | Anti-inflammation and analgesia | The contents of Li, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, and Pb in Qinghuo Zhimai tablets and capsules were determined. The linear relationship of each element in their respective concentration range is good (r > 0.999). The lower detection limit is 0.0003–5.2 μg·d−1. The recovery was 88.1%–121.9%, and RSD was 0.7%–6.7% (Wang et al., 2019b) |
| Qingxue Bawei tablets | Mongolian medicine of China | Bezoar, Dianthus superbus L., Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Hansuishi, Inula helenium L., Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc., Plaster | Headache, heatstroke | Protecting cardiovascular system, anti-arrhythmia, anti-inflammatory, and protecting myocardium | The contents of Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Tl, and Pb in Qingxue Bawei tablets were determined. The linear relationship of each element is good, r ≥ 0.9995, and the detection limit of each element is 0.001–6.390 μg/L; RSD of the precision, stability, and repeatability tests meet the requirements of quantitative analysis. The recovery was 94.36%–105.47%, and RSD was 1.53%–4.56% (Wang et al., 2017b) |
| Renshenzaizao pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Agkistrodon acutus (Guenther), Asarum sieboldii Miq., Cyperus rotundus L., Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Pheretima asiatica Perrier., Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth., Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. | Apoplexy | Anti-arrhythmia and anti-shock | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Renshenzaizao pills were determined. The linear relationship of the five elements is good, the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.9990, the detection limit is 0.0002–0.023 mg/kg, and the average recovery is 92.7%–101.9% (Zhang et al., 2019b) |
| Renqing Changjue | Tibetan medicine | Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng., Bezoar, Cinnabar, Crocus sativus L., Santalum album L., Pearl, Zogta | Harmonizing and nourishing, clearing away heat and detoxifying | Analgesia and anti-fatigue | The contents of Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Th, and U in Renqing Changjue were determined. The detection limit of each element is 0.0032–2.416 ng·g−1, and the recovery is between 82.73% and 106.6% (Rezeng et al., 2016b) |
| Salvia miltiorrhiza freeze-dried powder needle for injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge | Chest tingling, palpitation, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris | Antiviral, anti-tumor, cellular immunity, and interferon induction | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in 32 batches of freeze-dried powder needles of Salvia miltiorrhiza for injection and Xueshuantong for injection were determined. The correlation coefficient r of the measured elements and calibration curve is greater than 0.999. The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in 32 batches of freeze-dried powder injection of traditional Chinese medicine for injection are within the limit (Jiang et al., 2017) |
| Xueshuantong freeze-dried powder needle for injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen | Stroke hemiplegia, chest arthralgia and heartache, central retinal vein occlusion | Expand cerebral blood vessels and increase cerebral blood flow | |
| Sanqi Shangyao tablets | Traditional Chinese medicine | Aconitum brachypodum Diels, Borneol, Carthamus tinctorius L., Davallia mariesii H.J.Veitch, Paeonia veitchii, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen, Sambucus williamsii Hance | Relaxing tendons and activating blood circulation, dispersing blood stasis, and relieving pain | Anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Sanqi Shangyao tablets were determined. The detection limits were 0.02 mg/kg, 0.01 mg/kg, 0.005 mg/kg, 0.03 mg/kg, and 0.007 mg/kg, respectively (Ma et al., 2019) |
| Shexiang Baoxin pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Bezoar, Borneol, Bufo bufo gargarizans, Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Liquidambar orientalis Mill., Musk, Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. | Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction caused by myocardial ischemia | Inhibiting myocardial fibrosis and reducing cardiac inflammation | The contents of 26 inorganic elements of Li, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi in 12 batches of Shexiang Baoxin pills were determined. The contents of Ca, Mg, Na, and Fe are higher, all exceeding 1.000 mg/g. The amounts of Mn, Cu, Zn, Al, and Ga are also relatively high, whereas the amounts of Sb, Hg, Tl, and Bi are relatively low, all below 0.050 μg/g (Ding et al., 2018) |
| Shenqifuzheng injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. | Lung cancer, gastric cancer | Anti-tumor | The contents of 14 trace elements Cu, Zn, Mn, Se, Mo, Fe, Cr, Ni, V, Sn, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As in q Shenqifuzheng injection were determined. The relative contents of Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Se in Shenqifuzheng injection are high. The contents of As in toxic elements Pb, Cd, Hg, and as are close to the requirements of American fad drugs and functional foods, and the contents of Pb, Cd, and Hg are significantly lower than the maximum limit (Shi et al., 2008) |
| Shengmai injections | Traditional Chinese medicine | Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. | Myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, septic shock | Improving body immunity, protecting myocardium, and anti-tumor | The contents of heavy metal elements Cu, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Shengmai injection were determined. The linear relationship of each element in their respective detection mass concentration range is good (r is not less than 0.9998), the recovery is greater than 90%, RSD is not greater than 2.8% (n = 3), and the detection limits are Cu 0.10 ng/ml, As 0.06 ng/ml, Cd 0.03 ng/ml, Hg 0.008 ng/ml and Pb 0.02 ng/ml, respectively (Huang, 2014) |
| Shiwuwei Saierdou pill | Tibetan medicine | Berberis thunbergii DC., Chrysosplenium nudicaule Bunge, Hypecoum erectum L., Lagotis clarkei Hook.f., Swertia bimaculata (Siebold & Zucc.) Hook.f. & Thomson ex C. B. Clarke, Terminalia chebula Retz., Dolomiaea souliei (Franch.) C. Shih | Hepatobiliary fever, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis | Anti-inflammation, analgesia, and bacteriostasis | The contents of 20 elements Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Au, Hg, and Pb in Shiwuwei Saierdou pills were determined. The detection limit of each element is 0.0032–2.416 ng·g−1, and the recovery is 86.92%–104.9% (Rezeng et al., 2016c) |
| Shuanghuanglian injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, Lonicera japonica Thunb., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi | Fever, cough, sore throat, upper respiratory tract infection, mild pneumonia, and tonsillitis caused by exogenous wind heat | Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antiarrhythmic | The contents of 15 trace elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Ba, and Hg in Shuanghuanglian injection were determined. The recovery was 81.6%–96.3%, and the detection limit was 0.001–1.53 ng/g (Luan et al., 2012) |
| Sijunzi decoction | Traditional Chinese medicine | Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf. | Anti-tumor, anti-ribonucleic acid synthesis, gastrointestinal regulation | Anti-tumor, anti-fatigue, and anti-aging | The contents of Pb, Hg, Cr, Cd, As, Ni, Cu, Co, Se, and Mo in Sijunzi decoction were determined. The linear relationship of the detected 10 elements is good, the correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.9993, and the detection limit of each element is 0.003–0.294 μg·L−1, the recovery is within 95.8%–108.3%, RSD ≤ 6.6%, and values of repeatability and precision are RSD ≤ 5% (Guan et al., 2018) |
| Thrombus scavenger injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen | Hemorrhagic diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and their sequelae, intraocular hemorrhage, and other fundus diseases | Expand cerebral blood vessels and increase cerebral blood flow | The contents of Be, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Nd, Dy, Hg, Tl, and Pb in Thrombus scavenger injection were determined. The correlation coefficient r of the standard curve of 21 elements above 0.999, the recovery rate is 92 71%–107.07%, and RSD is within 5% (Cheng et al., 2019) |
| Twenty-five flavor pearl pills | Tibetan medicine | Aromaticum, Buffalo horn, Crocus sativus L., Dalbergia odorifera T. C. Chen, Myristica fragrans Houtt., Lanxangia tsao-ko (Crevost & Lemarié) M. F. Newman & Skornick., Pearl, Phyllanthus emblica L., Santalum album L., Travertine | Acute and chronic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperlipidemia | Anticonvulsant and antithrombotic | The contents of eight trace elements Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Mo in Tibetan medicine, twenty-five flavor pearl pills, were determined. The recovery was 95.4%–102.3% (Jin et al., 2017) |
| Vitexin injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, Vitex negundo L. | Inflammation, ischemic brain injury | Antioxidation, anti-myocardial hypertrophy, and inhibition of platelet aggregation | The contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu in Vitexin injection were determined. The detection limits of each element were 0.4, 0.03, 0.09, 0.04, and 0.05 ng/ml, respectively. The linear relationship is good (r > 0.998). The recoveries were 97.8%, 97.2%, 104.0%, 91.2%, and 92.8%, respectively (Xu et al., 2018) |
| Weisu granule | Traditional Chinese medicine | Areca catechu L., Cyperus rotundus L., Citrus deliciosa Ten., Citrus medica L., Citrus × aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle, Gizzard pepsin, Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton | Chronic gastritis, Peptic ulcer | Improving the state of gastric mucosa and reducing the expression level of inflammatory factors | The six harmful elements Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cu, and Ni in Weisu granule were determined. Within the detection concentration range, the linear relationship is good (r value is between 0.9993 and 0.9999), the recovery of each element is between 92.36% and 102.55%, and the RSD is between 0.85% and 2.1% (Su et al., 2020) |
| Xiaochaihu preparation | Traditional Chinese medicine | Bupleurum chinense DC., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Panax ginseng C.A.Mey., Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi | Cold, malaria, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, acute and chronic cholecystitis, otitis media, acute pancreatitis, pleurisy, gallstones | Hypolipidemia | The contents of Cu, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Xiaochaihu preparation were determined. Under the international heavy metal limit standard, Hg in only one batch of original Medicinal materials exceeded the standard by eight times, but after decoction and preparation process, the residue of heavy metals was significantly reduced, and the residue rate of heavy metals was reduced to 2.5% 02% (granule Hg)–42.85% (granule Cd). THQ and Cr were lower than the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk standard values of heavy metals under the three-drug application methods (Li et al., 2019d) |
| Yigan powder | Traditional Chinese medicine | Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Phyllanthus urinaria L., Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze | Chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cirrhosis, fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease, hepatic cyst | Anti-hepatitis B virus | The contents of V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Yigan powder were determined. The linear relationship of 12 elements is good, and the correlation coefficient r ≥ 0.05 9992, the detection limit of each element is 0.038–0.537 μg·L−1, the recovery is 100.0%–104.7%, RSD ≤ 4.4%, and RSD values of repeatability and precision are ≤5% (Sun et al., 2017) |
| Yinzhihuang injection | Traditional Chinese medicine | Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, Lonicera japonica Thunb., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi | Acute, persistent, and chronic hepatitis | Protecting the liver and resisting liver fibrosis | Determination of Pb, As, Cd, Hg, and Cu in Yinzhihuang injection. The detection limits of the five elements were 5–1250 ng/L, respectively. The linearity is good, and the linear correlation coefficients are r ≥ 0.999. Precision RSD < 3 5%. The recovery was 95.7%–107.5% (Wang et al., 2012b) |
| Yupingfeng granules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk. | Cold, respiratory tract infection, allergic rhinitis | Anti-infection | 18 inorganic elements K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, and Ba in Yupingfeng granules were determined. The precision, stability, and reproducibility are less than 5%, 18 inorganic elements are in the range of 0–100 g/L, and the correlation coefficients were above 0.9990 (Zhang et al., 2019c) |
| Zhenqi Fuzheng granules | Traditional Chinese medicine | Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Ligustrum lucidum W. T. Aiton | Deficiency caused by various diseases | Anti-fatigue and anti-oxidation | The contents of As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Cu in 111 batches of Zhenqi Fuzheng granules were determined. The correlation coefficient of the calibration curve r > 0.999, and the contents of As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Cu are within the controllable range (Zhou et al., 2016) |
| Zhenhuang capsule | Traditional Chinese medicine | Artificial bezoar, Borneol, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen, Pig bile powder, Pearl, Peppermint oil, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi | Sore throat, sore and boils caused by excessive heat in lung and stomach | Anticonvulsant | The contents of Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu, and As in Zhenhuang capsule were determined. The detection limit of each element is 1.1–14.0 ng·mL−1. The quantitative limit was 3.7–46.7 ng·mL−1. The linear ranges are Pb 0–20 ng·mL−1, As 0–20 ng·mL−1, Hg 0–2 ng·mL−1, Cd 0–10 ng·mL−1, and Cu 0–500 ng·mL−1, respectively. r > 0.9900, the linear relationship of each element is good. The average recovery was 92.1%–106.5%, RSD ≤ 5.72% (Liu et al., 2020) |
| Zhitong Huazheng capsule | Traditional Chinese medicine | Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz., Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf., Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton, Sparganium stoloniferum (Buch.-Ham. ex Graebn.) Buch.-Ham. ex Juz., Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge | Irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic inflammation | Antithrombosis | 48 inorganic elements Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Pb, Bi, B, Sc, Ti, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, W, Eu, Gd, Dy, TB, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Ta, and Tl in Zhitong Huazheng capsule were determined, and the regression equation coefficient of each element was greater than 0.9994. The detection limit of each element is 0.0001–0.1611 g/L. The quantitative limit is 0.0003–0.5370 g/L, the RSD of the precision, stability, and repeatability test is less than 5.0%, the recovery rate is 95.0%–101.7%, and the RSD value is 0.34%–2.83% (Wu et al., 2019b) |
| Zhusha Anshen pills | Traditional Chinese medicine | Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Cinnabar, Coptis chinensis Franch., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke | Insomnia, palpitation, and forgetfulness caused by neurasthenia, trance caused by mental depression, palpitation and palpitation caused by premature heartbeat | Anticonvulsant | To determine the content of soluble mercury in Zhusha Anshen pills. There is a good linear relationship in the range of 0–20.0 g/L. The detection limit is 0.04 g/L, and the limit of quantitation is 0.13 g/L. The average recoveries of the three mass concentrations were 94.7%, 110.4%, and 92.3%. RSD was 1.3%, 1.0%, and 3.6% (Li et al., 2016b) |