Preprint / Version 1

Human Health Risk Assessment of Arsenic and Other Metals in Herbal Products Containing St. John’s Wort in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City

Authors

  • Patricia Rojas Laboratorio de Inmunidad de Mucosas, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis esq. Salvador Díaz Mirón s/n, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; [email protected]
  • Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected] (E.R.-S.); [email protected] (L.O.-R.)
  • Carolina Rojas Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; [email protected]
  • Betzabeth García-Martínez Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, S.S., Calzada México-Xochimilco 289, Mexico City 14389, Mexico; [email protected] (B.A.G.-M.); [email protected] (C.R.)
  • Arely López-Ramírez Laboratorio de Neurotoxicología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected]
  • Laura Osorio-Rico Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected] (E.R.-S.); [email protected] (L.O.-R.)
  • Camilo Ríos Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, S.S., Calzada México-Xochimilco 289, Mexico City 14389, Mexico; [email protected] (B.A.G.-M.); [email protected] (C.R.)
  • Aldo Reséndiz-Albor Laboratorio de Inmunidad de Mucosas, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis esq. Salvador Díaz Mirón s/n, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; [email protected]

Keywords:

St. John’s wort, Hypericum sp., heavy metal content, pharmaceutical herbal products, food supplements, arsenic, cadmium, lead

Abstract

Consumption of St. John’s wort plant is high worldwide due to its various medicinal properties. However, herbal products containing St. John’s wort may be contaminated with toxic metals. This is often related to contamination of both water and the atmosphere, lack of proper cultivation methods, and inadequate plant storage conditions, as well as a lack of stricter sanitary supervision. A safety assessment of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) content in 23 products containing St. John’s wort (pharmaceutical herbal products, food supplements and traditional herbal remedies) sold in the metropolitan area of Mexico City was conducted. The analysis of metals was determined using a graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. All herbal products were contaminated with Cu, Pb, Cd and As. The pharmaceutical herbal items showed less contamination by metals. The daily human intake (DHI) values for Pb exceeded the permissible limits in the group of traditional herbal remedies. The DHI calculation for As exceeded the permitted intake values for all items in the group of traditional herbal remedies, five food supplements and one pharmaceutical herbal product. The hazard indicator calculation of the non-carcinogenic cumulative risk values for traditional herbal remedies was greater than 1, suggesting a risk to human health. Keywords: St. John’s wort, Hypericum sp., heavy metal content, pharmaceutical herbal products, food supplements, arsenic, cadmium, lead

Author Biographies

Patricia Rojas, Laboratorio de Inmunidad de Mucosas, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis esq. Salvador Díaz Mirón s/n, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; [email protected]

Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez, Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected] (E.R.-S.); [email protected] (L.O.-R.)

Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Carolina Rojas, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; [email protected]

Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Betzabeth García-Martínez, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, S.S., Calzada México-Xochimilco 289, Mexico City 14389, Mexico; [email protected] (B.A.G.-M.); [email protected] (C.R.)

Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing

Arely López-Ramírez, Laboratorio de Neurotoxicología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected]

Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing

Laura Osorio-Rico, Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, S.S., Avenida Insurgentes Sur No. 3877, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; [email protected] (E.R.-S.); [email protected] (L.O.-R.)

Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Camilo Ríos, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, S.S., Calzada México-Xochimilco 289, Mexico City 14389, Mexico; [email protected] (B.A.G.-M.); [email protected] (C.R.)

Methodology, Resources, Writing – review & editing

Aldo Reséndiz-Albor, Laboratorio de Inmunidad de Mucosas, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis esq. Salvador Díaz Mirón s/n, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; [email protected]

Methodology, Writing – review & editing

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