Title: Quantification of Essential Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Modified Da Huo Luo Dan
Abstract:A modification of Da Huo Luo Dan is marketed and prescribed for the treatment of paresis and paralysis according to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine principles. The concentrations of essential ...A modification of Da Huo Luo Dan is marketed and prescribed for the treatment of paresis and paralysis according to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine principles. The concentrations of essential nutrients and heavy metals within the formula have not been previously reported and could exert physiologic effects. The present investigation employed standard analyses to quantify basic nutrients and inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry to determine mineral and heavy metal concentrations in this herbal formula. The results suggest that typical doses of modified Da Huo Luo Dan are unlikely to significantly contribute to the macronutrient intake of patients. High mean as-fed (AF) concentrations of aluminum (1,410 mg/kg), barium (1,570 mg/kg), boron (780 mg/kg), and iron (1,590 mg/kg) were identified but are unlikely to cause toxicity. Low levels of cadmium and lead (1.0 mg/kg and 3.8 mg/kg AF) were detected and could represent markers of environmental or processing contamination. Differences were detected between batch lots from the same manufacturer, which requires future study and which could influence the safety and efficacy of the product.Read More