Elemental characteristics of Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) in Yunnan province of China: Multielement determination by ICP-AES and ICP-MS and statistical analysis

摘要

Fifty three elements (both major and trace amounts) such as P, Mg, Al, As, and Pb etc. in Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) sampled from different spots around Laojun Mountain (Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China) were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental distribution was extracted by means of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA). It was found that the major elements distributed in different content zones, thus providing possibility for differentiating Sanqi from other medicinal herbs. Furthermore, Metal Pollution Index (MPI) could be used to advise consumers on safety of Sanqi.