Determination of Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Mentha Asiatica Herb by Modern Instrumental Methods
The State Pharmacopoeia XIV edition sets a number of requirements for the quality of medicinal plant raw materials, including their safety. The determination of safety indicators is necessary to establish a likely threat to the health of patients, as well as the admissibility of the use of medicinal plant raw materials in medical practice. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to develop methods for determining safety indicators for heavy metals and pesticides in Mentha asiatica herb, recommended for introduction into medical practice on the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, using modern instrumental methods of analysis. To determine heavy metals and trace element composition, the methods of atomic absorption spectrometry, stripping voltammetry, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry were used, and their results were compared. Organochlorine pesticides were determined by gas-liquid chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The herbal raw material complies with pharmacopoeial safety requirements, the results of atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry are comparable to the results of stripping voltammetry. Thus, in the analysis of Asian mint herb recommended for introduction into medical practice, the developed methods for determining heavy metals and pesticides, based on modern instrumental methods, may be applied.