Determination of Arsenic
Content of Available Traditional Medicines in Malaysia
using Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
ABM Helal Uddin1*,
Reem S Khalid1, Umeed A Khan2 and
SA Abbas3
1Department of
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy,
International Islamic University (IIUM), Malaysia,
2Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,
International Islamic University (IIUM), Malaysia, Jalan
Istana, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang,
3School of Pharmacy, Taylors
University, 1, Jalan Taylor’s, 47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
*For correspondence:
Email:
mohdhelal@hotmail.com,
abmhelal@iium.edu.my; Tel:
+6-012-4076807; Fax: +6-09-5716775
Received: 6 October 2012 Revised accepted: 13
October 2013
Tropical Journal of
Pharmaceutical Research, December 2013;
12(6): 1053-1056
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i6.28
Abstract
Purpose: To determine the content of
arsenic (As) in some locally available traditional
medicines in the East Coast region of Malaysia.
Methods: The determination of As was
conducted using hydride generation-atomic absorption
spectrometry (HG-AAS). Sample preparation entailed
mineral acid digestion using hydrochloric acid and
nitric acid mixture in a ratio of 1:3. Sixty samples
were collected from different locations including shops
and open markets in East Coast region of Malaysia,
namely, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan states. Most of
these preparations were not registered with Malaysian
drug authority.
Results: Out of sixty traditional
medicine samples, twenty six contained As in a
concentration range of 0.2150 - 1.3254 ppm. As for the
rest, they were below the limit of quantification (LOQ).
Conclusion:
Traditional medicine samples
available in the east coast region of Malaysia contain
levels of arsenic that can adversely affect health upon
consumption.
Keywords: Traditional medicine,
Arsenic, Hydride Generation –Atomic Absorption
Spectrometer HG-AAS.
