서울지역 유통한약재의 통계적 품질관리- 회분, 산불용성회분, 건조감량, 유해중금속을 중심으로 -

Statistical Quality Control of Herbal Drugstuffs Distributed in Seoul Area- Centering around Ash, Acid-insoluble Ash, Loss on Drying and Hazardous Heavy Metals -

To survey the status of quality control of major ingredients of 'Ssanghwatang (Oriental medicine used for fatigue)', we analyzed 1,024 samples (9 kinds) of medical herbs to determine amounts of ashes, acid-insoluble ashes, loss on drying that are major elements to ensure basic quality of herbal drugstuffs. After ash analysis, Paeoniae Radix (from China) failed to meet the herbal standard criterion. After yielding Z-score(indicating the probability of exceeding its criterion) Zizyphi Fructus, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata became objects of intense quality control (=IQC). Analysis on loss on drying shows Cinnamomi Cortex was unsuitable and was put under the IQC. In case of respective heavy metals, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Cnidii Rhizoma, Cinnamomi Cortex exceeded the maximum permissible range for Cd. The 3 kinds of sub-standards were put to the IQC. Statistic figures showed a significant correlation (t-test, p<0.01) between country-of-origin and sub-quality rates. Compared to domestic one, imported medicinal herbs were less suitable in regard of acid-insoluble ash, loss on drying and Pb/Hg content. Meanwhile, amounts of Acid-insoluble ash showed positive relation with amounts of Pb (r=0.202) and As (r=0.243) among heavy metals leading to an inference that herbs of which root/rhizome is used for medical purposes attribute its high heavy metal content to the fine earth/sand being stuck to its root stalk.