Determination of wholesome elements and heavy metals in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) from Xinjiang and Henan by ICP-MS/ICP-AES

An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was developed to determine 19 elements in safflower, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb from Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Henan Province of China. Totally 19 elements in safflower included heavy metals, i. e. As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb, and wholesome elements, i. e. Al, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Se, Sr, V and Zn. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in safflower samples were both low, all of which met the national hygiene standards except for Pb in Xinjiang sample. Meanwhile, the distribution tendency of elements in the two samples was similar, which indicated that the plant might absorb given elements in a proportional way. The method can be used for the quality control of elements in safflower, and it provides a way for the determination of the contents of safflower from Xinjiang and Henan.