Analysis of arsenic content in "Khun-hnit-par-shaung" Myanmar indigenous medicine

ABSTRACT

"Khun-hnit-par-shaung" ( ) indigenous Myanmar medicine has been used widely for the treatment of tingling and numbness of extremities, and for a side variety of the joint disease. It is a mixture of sein-nee-myin-thwa ( ) (As2 S2), kyauk-say-dan ( ) (As2 S3), kant ( ) (sulphur), za-wet-tha ( ) (ammonium chloride), hin-yaing-ni ( ) (mercury II sulphate) let-char ( ) (borax), dotehtar ( ) (copper II sulphate) in equal proportion. Arsenic content of sein-nee-myin-thwa, kyauk-say-dan and the formulated "khun-hnit-par-shaung" medicine was analysed by nuclear method. 66.89 percent of sein-nee-myin-thwa and 36.37 percent of kyauk-say-dan were found to be arsenic. The arsenic content of formulated "khun-hnit-par-shaung" medicine depends on the heating time during the preparation. The content of arsenic in the mixture become higher according to the exposure time of heat.