Quantitative determination of multiple elements in botanicals and dietary supplements using ICP-MS

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Food Science

Background:

• Botanicals and dietary supplements are widely consumed, necessitating accurate elemental analysis for safety and efficacy.
• Ensuring the quality of these products requires robust methods to detect and quantify various elements.
• Previous methods may lack the sensitivity or scope for comprehensive elemental profiling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable method for analyzing 21 elements in botanicals and dietary supplements.
• To establish optimal sample preparation techniques for diverse matrices.
• To assess the method's performance characteristics, including accuracy, precision, and sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method.
• Closed-vessel microwave digestion using concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acid (8:2) for sample preparation.
• Validation parameters included linearity, precision, accuracy, Limit of Detection (LOD), and Limit of Quantitation (LOQ).

Main Results:

• The ICP-MS method demonstrated excellent recoveries (91-106%) with certified reference materials.
• Validated method showed good linearity, precision, and accuracy for elemental analysis.
• LODs ranged from 0.005 to 1.09 ng/mL (excluding potassium); K, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Mn, and Fe were most abundant.
• Trace elements like V, Cr, Co, Ni, Se, Cd, Hg, and Pb were detected at low concentrations.

Conclusions:

• The developed ICP-MS method is simple, fast, and reliable for multielement determination in botanicals and dietary supplements.
• This validated method can be effectively used for quality control and safety assessment of these products.
• The findings provide a robust analytical framework for understanding elemental composition in consumer health products.