[Determination of 16 elements in the different pine pollen by TXRF]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Phytochemistry

Background:

• Pine pollen is utilized in traditional medicine and as a nutritional supplement.
• Elemental composition can influence the medicinal properties and efficacy of botanical materials.
• Understanding the elemental profile of pine pollen is crucial for quality control and therapeutic application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To simultaneously determine the concentration of 16 elements in pine pollen using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF).
• To investigate the variations in elemental content among different pine pollen samples.
• To explore the relationship between elemental composition, traditional medicinal properties (warm/cold), and factors like tree species and growth environment.

Main Methods:

• Microwave digestion was employed for sample preparation.
• Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) was used for the simultaneous quantification of 16 elements.
• Statistical analysis was performed to assess significant differences in elemental content.

Main Results:

• All 16 analyzed elements were detected in all pine pollen samples.
• Significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) in the average content of Ca, Ti, Mn, Zn, and Rb were observed between different pine pollen groups.
• Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were found for K, V, Fe, Co, Cu, and Sr, while Cr, Ni, As, Pb, and Se showed no significant variations.
• Pine pollen exhibited spectral characteristics associated with 'warm' or 'cold' medicinal properties, correlating with tree species and growth conditions.

Conclusions:

• The elemental composition of pine pollen varies significantly based on tree species and environmental factors.
• TXRF is an effective method for the simultaneous determination of multiple elements in pine pollen.
• Elemental profiling provides insights into the potential medicinal properties and quality variations of pine pollen.