Effects of different processing methods on content of mineral elements in Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum of Cervus nippon / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the contents of mineral elements (Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Cr, As, Cd, Ag, Pb, Ba, and Au) in different parts of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum (CCP) with different processing methods, with aims to provide a guidance for the effective utilization and determination of medicinal value of CCP. Methods The three-branched velvet antler collected from Jilin Province was pretreated by microwave digestion and wet digestion, and the content of elements was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results The results of detection of Cd and Ag in samples were all less than 0.001 μg/kg. Higher contents of Na, Mg, Al, P, K, and Ca were observed in antler samples especially the content of Ca which increased sharply from wax to bone section. The content of Ca reached to 14.86%-16.44% in the bone section. The contents of Na, Mg, Al, P, K and Ca were significantly different in different sections (P < 0.05). The contents of Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ba were relatively higher than Fe, Co, Ni, Se, and Cr in antlers. The contents of Cr, As, Au, and Pb were very low within the limits of heavy metals of food. Se was rich in antler sample which contains 260.35-357.29 μg/kg in wax section. Drying and freeze-drying treatments had significant differences in Al and other elements (P < 0.05). The overall level presented that the contents of Al, P, and Ca in the boiled fry were higher than those in frozen dried antler, however, Na, Mg, and K were the opposite. Conclusion Different initial processing methods affected the contents of some mineral elements in three-branched velvet antler, and different sections showed different rules. The content of mineral elements in different sections of velvet antler varied greatly. This study provides a theoretical basis for the fine use of antler in different sections.