Determination of Trace Elements Content of a Popular Traditional Herbal Medicine Used for Internal Hemorrhoids Treatment in Katsina State, Nigeria

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty Assessment of toxic metal concentrations of a widely used traditional herb in Katsina state, was carried out. Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and descriptive statistical analysis was employed in the research. Pb, Cr, and As were found to be beyond WHO/FAO thresholds. Full Abstract There has been an increase in the utilization of traditional herbal drugs for different medications and health care in Katsina state. This is possibly due to the growing need for complementary disease treatment, relative cheapness, availability, and wider distribution. Raw samples of a popularly used traditional herb (locally named - Dan Lambar Rimi) were purchased from local markets, prepared, and analyzed using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer for Pb, Cr, As, Co, Ni, and Cd concentrations. The obtained concentrations were then summarized using descriptive statistics in SPSS Version 27. The results for the elements analyzed were Ni (0.83 ± 0.15), Cd (0.20 ± 0.01), Pb (21.5 ± 6.63), As (2.10 ± 0.70), Cr (2.36 ± 0.37), and Co (1.15 ± 0.22) ppm. Cr, Pb and As concentrations were greater than the WHO/FAO threshold limits for herbal medicines, while that of Cd was within the recommended threshold. Furthermore, the concentrations of these metals (As, Cr, and Pb) were greater than the WHO/FAO acceptable threshold in 50% of the herbal samples analyzed. Therefore, these metals can pose a threat to public health, especially considering the conventional way in which this herbal medicine is used. With deliberate improvement in hygiene during its preparation prior to consumption, the risk will be brought to a minimal. Future studies should perform a detailed chemical risk assessment, especially when we look at the increase in the number of diseases of unknown etiology in the region.