Comparative study on the aristolochic acid I content of Herba Asari for safe use

Zhongzhen ZHAO; Zhitao LIANG; Zhi Hong JIANG; Kelvin S Y LEUNG; Chi Leung Chan; Hon Yee Chan; Jaime Sin; Tim On Man; Kwok Wai Law

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006

Comparative study on the aristolochic acid I content of Herba Asari for safe use

Zhongzhen ZHAO^*, Zhitao LIANG, Zhi Hong JIANG, Kelvin S Y LEUNG, Chi Leung Chan, Hon Yee Chan, Jaime Sin, Tim On Man, Kwok Wai Law

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Herba Asari (Xixin, Manchurian Wildginger, Asarum spp.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used as a crude drug and an ingredient in patent medicines. The herb contains aristolochic acid I (AA-I), which has recently caused several incidents of poisoning in Hong Kong. Therefore, the safe use of Asarum is questionable. The present study was undertaken to assess the levels of AA-I using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in different medicinal parts of Herba Asari and some proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM) containing it as an ingredient. The AA-I content in the aerial and root portions were compared, in the form of water and methanolic extracts. The results showed that all the aerial portions of Herba Asari generally contain higher levels of AA-I than the roots (in water extract: 0.08±0.06 μg/g of root and 0.32±0.021 μg/g of aerial), and the methanolic extracts typically contained more AA-I than the water extracts. Moreover, all the three PCM studies showed negligible amounts of AA-I (containing 0.03±0.006 μg/g). Therefore, the root portion of Herba Asari was recommended for prescription as a decoction instead of grinding it into powder for oral administration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	741-748
Number of pages	8
Journal	Phytomedicine
Volume	15
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006
Publication status	Published - 3 Sept 2008

User-Defined Keywords

Aristolochia
Aristolochic acid I
Asarum
Herba Asari
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

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10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006

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@article{fc4a17b8cf9d48159014fe8ff60246ef,

title = "Comparative study on the aristolochic acid I content of Herba Asari for safe use",

abstract = "Herba Asari (Xixin, Manchurian Wildginger, Asarum spp.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used as a crude drug and an ingredient in patent medicines. The herb contains aristolochic acid I (AA-I), which has recently caused several incidents of poisoning in Hong Kong. Therefore, the safe use of Asarum is questionable. The present study was undertaken to assess the levels of AA-I using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in different medicinal parts of Herba Asari and some proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM) containing it as an ingredient. The AA-I content in the aerial and root portions were compared, in the form of water and methanolic extracts. The results showed that all the aerial portions of Herba Asari generally contain higher levels of AA-I than the roots (in water extract: 0.08±0.06 μg/g of root and 0.32±0.021 μg/g of aerial), and the methanolic extracts typically contained more AA-I than the water extracts. Moreover, all the three PCM studies showed negligible amounts of AA-I (containing 0.03±0.006 μg/g). Therefore, the root portion of Herba Asari was recommended for prescription as a decoction instead of grinding it into powder for oral administration.",

keywords = "Aristolochia, Aristolochic acid I, Asarum, Herba Asari, Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry",

author = "Zhongzhen ZHAO and Zhitao LIANG and JIANG, {Zhi Hong} and LEUNG, {Kelvin S Y} and Chan, {Chi Leung} and Chan, {Hon Yee} and Jaime Sin and Man, {Tim On} and Law, {Kwok Wai}",

note = "The Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region funded this research and supplied all the samples.",

year = "2008",

month = sep,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative study on the aristolochic acid I content of Herba Asari for safe use

AU - ZHAO, Zhongzhen

AU - LIANG, Zhitao

AU - JIANG, Zhi Hong

AU - LEUNG, Kelvin S Y

AU - Chan, Chi Leung

AU - Chan, Hon Yee

AU - Sin, Jaime

AU - Man, Tim On

AU - Law, Kwok Wai

N1 - The Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region funded this research and supplied all the samples.

PY - 2008/9/3

Y1 - 2008/9/3

N2 - Herba Asari (Xixin, Manchurian Wildginger, Asarum spp.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used as a crude drug and an ingredient in patent medicines. The herb contains aristolochic acid I (AA-I), which has recently caused several incidents of poisoning in Hong Kong. Therefore, the safe use of Asarum is questionable. The present study was undertaken to assess the levels of AA-I using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in different medicinal parts of Herba Asari and some proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM) containing it as an ingredient. The AA-I content in the aerial and root portions were compared, in the form of water and methanolic extracts. The results showed that all the aerial portions of Herba Asari generally contain higher levels of AA-I than the roots (in water extract: 0.08±0.06 μg/g of root and 0.32±0.021 μg/g of aerial), and the methanolic extracts typically contained more AA-I than the water extracts. Moreover, all the three PCM studies showed negligible amounts of AA-I (containing 0.03±0.006 μg/g). Therefore, the root portion of Herba Asari was recommended for prescription as a decoction instead of grinding it into powder for oral administration.

AB - Herba Asari (Xixin, Manchurian Wildginger, Asarum spp.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used as a crude drug and an ingredient in patent medicines. The herb contains aristolochic acid I (AA-I), which has recently caused several incidents of poisoning in Hong Kong. Therefore, the safe use of Asarum is questionable. The present study was undertaken to assess the levels of AA-I using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in different medicinal parts of Herba Asari and some proprietary Chinese medicines (PCM) containing it as an ingredient. The AA-I content in the aerial and root portions were compared, in the form of water and methanolic extracts. The results showed that all the aerial portions of Herba Asari generally contain higher levels of AA-I than the roots (in water extract: 0.08±0.06 μg/g of root and 0.32±0.021 μg/g of aerial), and the methanolic extracts typically contained more AA-I than the water extracts. Moreover, all the three PCM studies showed negligible amounts of AA-I (containing 0.03±0.006 μg/g). Therefore, the root portion of Herba Asari was recommended for prescription as a decoction instead of grinding it into powder for oral administration.

KW - Aristolochia

KW - Aristolochic acid I

KW - Asarum

KW - Herba Asari

KW - Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

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U2 - 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006

DO - 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.06.006

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AN - SCOPUS:48849090851

SN - 0944-7113

VL - 15

SP - 741

EP - 748

JO - Phytomedicine

JF - Phytomedicine

IS - 9

ER -

Comparative study on the aristolochic acid I content of Herba Asari for safe use

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