Analysis on constituents of traditional Chinese medicine galamina / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze constituents of traditional Chinese medicine galamina, and provide basis for the quality control of galamina.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Polarization microscope and electron probe were adopted for a qualitative and quantitative analysis on microscopic appearance and micro-area constituents of galamina. Fourty-two elements contained in galamina were determined by the plasma mass-spectrometric method. Zinc oxide, the major constituent of galamina samples, was detected using the pharmacopeia method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The micro-area analysis on galamina samples showed that galamina is mainly constituted by various mineral particulates such as hydrozincite, smithsonite, zinc oxide and dolomite in a loose texture. It is also found that there are many counterfeit galamina sold in the market, marked by a high lead content in natural galamina samples.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Galamina is a mineral aggregation of multiple natural mineral substances, but those sold in the market has many quality problems. Therefore, a fast method shall be established to identify the authenticity of galamina and a standard shall be set to control harmful elements contained in galamina. It is suggested to conduct in-depth studies on excessive harmful elements contained in galamina medicinal materials.</p>