Monitoring of arsenic levels in some ready-to-use anti-malaria herbal products from drug sales outlets in the Madina area of Accra, Ghana (original) (raw)
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Contamination of anti malarial plants by Lead and cadmium in cotonou, Republic of Benin
2014
In order to investigate the level of contamination with toxic heavy metals in anti-malarial plants sold in the markets of Cotonou, some anti-malarial plants were selected through an ethno-botanic survey by using the ATRM (Triple Purchase of Healing Plants) a method elaborated in Togo. Out of 35 species of plants listed as antimalarial, 5 were selected for the assessment of the contamination with toxic heavy metals. Our study showed that the maximal values for almost all samples contaminated with lead and Cadmium was above the standards accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Besides, it was revealed that the contamination with toxic heavy metals depends on each species as well as on the site of purchase. Senna rotundifolia was more contaminated with lead (2.733mg / kg ± 0.356mg / kg) and with cadmium (0.583mg / kg ± 0.044mg / kg) on the site of Vossa than on the site of Dantokpa (1.825mg/kg ± 0.133mg/ kg and 0.062mg/kg ± 0.015mg/kg) respectively. It comes out of our investigations that the administration of herbal preparations containing these plants could have an impact on the health of the populations and on the environment.
Trace metals quality of some herbal medicines sold in Accra, Ghana
Ten brands of herbal medicines were selected on the market for the analysis of trace metals quality using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The results were reported as the mean concentration of three representative samples for each of the ten brands. The respective percentage incidence of the trace metals analyzed were; Fe (20%), Zn (80%), Cu (20%), Cd (40%); Al (100%) and Pb (100%). The range of the mean concentrations measured for all the brands were; Fe (<0.006-3.298 mg/L), Zn (<0.001-0.091 mg/L), Cu (<0.003-0.009 mg/L), Cd (<0.002-0.003), Al (0.278-0.533 mg/L) and Pb (0.0056-0.085 mg/L). The mean concentrations of the trace metals measured were generally low and below stipulated national limits as per WHO (2007). A hierarchical cluster analysis indicated two clusters; cluster 1 (CA1) loading Zn, Al and Fe whilst Cluster 2 (CA2) loaded Cd and Pb. The presence of these trace metals may be the result of accidental contamination during manufacture, for instance, from ...
International Journal of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products
Four potential heavy metal contaminants (PHMC) were analyzed in nine (9) different brands of liquid and five (5) powdered herbal products commonly sold in Port Harcourt metropolis with a view to ascertaining their levels and comparing them with standard regulatory limits (WHO) in order to establish if they are safe for human consumption. The samples were processed, digested and analyzed in triplicate using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (GBC Avanta PM6600 type). Concentration of heavy metals in liquid herbal products ranged from <0.001-2.541 ppm (copper) and 0.041-0.982 ppm (manganese), while chromium and cadmium were reportedly below detection limit in all test samples. Mean concentrations of copper and manganese in liquid herbal medicines were 0.38 ± 0.79 ppm and 0.47 ± 0.27 ppm respectively. On the other hand, the powdered herbs depicted heavy metal concentrations ranging from 0.049-0.143 ppm (chromium), 0.437-2.587 ppm (cadmium), while copper and manganese were reportedly below instrument detection limit. Mean concentrations of chromium and cadmium in finished powdered herbal products were 0.108 ± 0.045 ppm and 1.245 ± 0.815 ppm respectively. Apart from cadmium that exceeded WHO recommended limit in powdered herbal products, all other heavy metal contaminants were observed to be within recommended WHO limits and levels established by countries like Canada and Singapore. There was marked significant variation (P<0.05) in the concentration of copper and manganese amongst the various liquid herbal medicines that were tested. Similarly, the finished powdered herbal products showed significant variation (P<0.05) in concentrations of chromium and cadmium. Overall, the significant concentration of cadmium found in herbs of powdered form which are sold within the Port Harcourt metropolis is alarming and may be responsible for the high occurrence of kidney and liver health cases.
Levels of Potentially Toxic Metals In Selected Herbal Medicines In Lagos, Nigeria
Journal of Natural Sciences Research, 2015
The increasing popularity and widespread use of herbs as alternative medicine has sparked an interest in understanding their safety. Potential toxic metals (PTM) have been identified as a risk to human health through the usage of herbal medicines. This study aimed to assess the level and pH of PTM (Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni and Zn) in selected herbal medicines sold in Lagos, Nigeria. Eight commonly consumed herbal medicines: E-5000, MT-CAPS, B-CAPS, DD-TEA, YC-BITTER, JHD-POWD, KA-POWD, and H-CAPS were analysed for PTM using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer after wet digestion of the medicines. The highest concentration (mg/kg) of Fe (257±0.1), Pb (33.8±0.01) and Zn (38.9±0.01) were found in KA-POWD. The result also showed that JHD-POWD had the highest concentration amount of Ni (54.0±0.01 mg/kg), while B-CAPS had the highest concentration of Cu (4.14 ±0.02 mg/Kg). All the herbal medicines analysed are high in Fe content with range between 6.2 to 257 mg/kg. The pH values ranged between slightly acidic of 5.6-5.7 to slightly alkaline of 8.0-8.65. Twenty five percent of herbal medicines analysed had concentrations of Pb above the the WHO limits of 10 mg/kg, while all the samples had Cd above the permissible limits of 0.3 mg/kg. KA-POWD had the highest concentrations of Pb, Zn, Fe, and Cd determined. All other PTMs in the other samples analysed are below the recommended permissible limits.
Evaluation of heavy metals in twelve commonly consumed herbal medicines/preparations in Kano State, Nigeria was carried out. The samples comprised of five unregistered powdered medicines, namely, Zuwo, (ZW); Rai Dorai, (RD); Miyar Tsanya, (MTS); Bagaruwar Makka, (BM); and Madobiya, (M); five unregistered liquid herbal medicinal concussions for pile (MB), yellow fever (MS), typhoid (MT), stomach pain (MC), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); and two registered herbal medicines; Alif Powder (AP) and Champion Leaf (CL). The heavy metals evaluation was carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and the result revealed the concentrations (ppm) ranges of the heavy metals as follows: Cadmium (0.0045 – 0.1601), Chromium (0.0418 – 0.2092), Cobalt (0.0038 – 0.0760), Copper (0.0547 – 0.2465), Iron (0.1197 – 0.3592), Manganese (0.0123 – 1.4462), Nickel (0.0073 – 0.0960), Lead (0.185 – 0.0927) and Zinc (0.0244 – 0.2444). Comparing the results obtained in this work with the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and permissible limits of other countries, the concentrations of heavy metals in the herbal medicine/preparations are within the allowed permissible limits range in herbal medicines and their use could be safe. Introduction Metals are a major category of globally-distributed pollutants and are natural elements that have been extracted from earth and harnessed for human industry and products for millennia. (An exception to metals being " natural " is polonium). Heavy metal is a term used to define metallic elements with atomic weight higher than 40.0 (the atomic mass of Ca) [1]. Metals are notable for their wide environmental dispersion from such activity; their tendency to accumulate in selected tissues of human body; and their overall potential to be toxic even at relatively minor levels of exposure. Some metals, such as Copper and Iron, are essential to life and play an irreplaceable role in, the function of critical enzyme systems. Other metals are Xenobiotic, i.e., they have no useful role in human physiology (and most other living organisms) and, even worse, as in the case of lead and mercury may be toxic even at trace level of exposure. Metals that are essential have the potential to be toxic at very high level of exposure. One reflection of the importance of metals relative to other potential hazard is their ranking by the United State Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATDSR), which lists all hazards present in toxic waste site according to their prevalence and the severity of their toxicity The first, second, third, and sixth hazards on the list are heavy metals: lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium respectively. Exposure to metals can occur through a variety of routes. Metals may be inhaled as dust or fume (tiny particulate matter, such as the lead oxide particles produced by the combustion of leaded gasoline). Some metals can be vaporized (e.g. mercury vapour in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps) and inhaled. Metals may also be ingested involuntarily through food and drink. The amount that is actually absorbed from the digestive tract can vary widely, depending on the chemical form of the metal and the age and the nutritional status of the individual. Once a metal is absorbed, it distributes in tissues and organs. Excretion typically occurs primarily through the kidney and digestive tract, but metals tend to persist in some storage sites, like the liver, bone,
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The use of herbal products has increased and become more popularized globally; however, limited studies coupled with questions related to the quality and safety of these herbal products have been raised. Herbal products with hope of their nontoxicity may play a role of alternative to overcome the problems of multi-drug resistant pathogens. Medicinal plants used as raw materials for production may have quality and safety issues due to proximity to wastewater application of fungicides and pesticides, which may be directly deposited superficially or absorbed by the plant system. Therefore, possible contamination of some Ghanaian herbal products cannot be ignored, as it may severely affect human life in the process of treatment. Aim. To evaluate the microbial load and the presence of toxic heavy metals in Mist Amen Fevermix and Edhec Malacure, two polyherbal products used in the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana. Methods. Thermo Elemental M5 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer...
Trace elements concentrations in twelve herbal plants with antimalarial potency in Ibadan SouthWest Local Government Area of Oyo State were studied using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) technique. The study was aimed at determining the qualitative and quantitative trace elements in these plants. Leaves, stem barks and corm of selected plants were analyzed for their trace elemental contents. The plant samples were found to contain essential trace elements such as Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr and Ni which are well known for their important roles in formulation of herbal drugs as well as toxic elements such as Cd and Pb. The concentration of Mn ranged from 0.10 ± 0.00 mg/kg in Khaya grandifoliola to 2.16 ± 0.00 mg/kg in Morinda lucida while for Zn, highest concentration of 0.31 ± 0.01 mg/kg was obtained in Lawsonia inermis. Fe concentration ranged from 0.77 ± 0.03 mg/kg in Curcuma longa to 7.22 ± 0.01 mg/kg in Azadirachta indica while for Cr, it varied between 0.01 ± 0.03 mg/kg and 0.13 ± 0.01 mg/kg for Alstonia boonei and Enantia chlorontha respectively. Ni concentration varied from 0.22 ± 0.01 mg/kg (Mangifera indica) to 0.33 ± 0.02 mg/kg (Enantia chlorontha) while Pb varied between 0.39 ± 0.05 mg/kg (Nauclea latifolia) and 0.76 ± 0.15 mg/kg (Enantia chlorontha). Cu and Cd levels were below detection limits [Cu (0.005 mg/kg and Cd (0.01 mg/kg)] of the spectrophotometer used. The concentrations of the trace elements in the samples were lower than the permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). The study has shown that the herbal plants can provide antimalarial potency without leaving deteriorate effects of consuming some harmful trace elements. The study could serve a baseline for further researches on the subject matter in future.
Heavy Metals Profiles and Potential Risk in Herbal Remedies Produced in North Western Nigeria
International Journal of Research in Ayurveda & Pharmacy, 2015
Herbal remedies are widely used for cure of array of ill health conditions. However, they are less regulated and hardly undergo pharmacological screening, despite the fact that a lot of reports showed toxicities arising from their use. The aim of this study is the evaluation of Co, Cu and Ni concentrations in some herbal remedies formulations prepared in North West Nigeria and enumerate the potential risk using hazard quotients and hazard index. Samples were dried, digested and the solutions aspirated into atomic absorption spectrometer according to standard methods. The result showed that Co, Cu and Ni concentrations occur in the range of 12.00-34.60, 6.3-35.0 and 52.6-631.5 mg/kg, respectively. 100% and 37% of sample showed that they exceeded the World Health Organization permissible limits for Ni and Cu, respectively. The values of hazard quotient showed that 32.04 and 93.11% of samples for adult and children respectively are at risk. Also, the hazard index values showed that 31.03% and 93.10% of the remedies pose potential risk for adult and children, respectively. Therefore, the herbal remedies are considered unsafe for consumption and necessitate appropriate action by regulatory bodies.
2011
Five heavy metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) were determined in four (4) branded Pax-herbal products-Paxherbal Health Tea®, Paxherbal Potensine®, Paxherbal Malatreat tea® and Paxherbal Black powder® using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) after acid digestion. The samples were purchased from manufacturer's (Pax-herbal) retail outlet in Yenagoa. The concentration of lead (Pb), Cd, Zn, Fe and Co in all the samples ranged from BDL to 102.200 ± 1.838 µg/g, 0.249 ± 0.010 µg/g to 2.839 ± 0.018 µg/g, BDL to 14.638 ± µg/g,), 88.557 ± 1.135 µg/g to 269.074 ± 3.433 µg/g and 0.604 ± 0.002 µg/g to 9.781± 0.032 µg/g respectively. Pb content was below detection limits (BDL) in Paxherbal Health Tea® and Paxherbal Potensine®, while the amount in Paxherbal Malatreat tea and Paxherbal Black powder was 102.200 ± 1.838 µg/g and 49.528 ± 0.583 µg/g respectively. The corresponding daily intake of heavy metals in herbal drugs were below limits stipulated by r...