title: Development of radiation indicators to distinguish between irradiated and non-irradiated herbal medicines using HPLC and GC-MS.
abstract: The effects of high dose γ-irradiation on six herbal medicines were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Herbal medicines were irradiated at 0-50 kGy with (60)Co irradiator. HPLC was used to quantify changes of major components including glycyrrhizin, cinnamic acid, poncirin, hesperidin, berberine, and amygdalin in licorice, cinnamon bark, poncirin immature fruit, citrus unshiu peel, coptis rhizome, and apricot kernel. No significant differences were found between gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated samples with regard to the amounts of glycyrrhizin, berberine, and amygdalin. However, the contents of cinnamic acid, poncirin, and hesperidin were increased after irradiation. Volatile compounds were analyzed by GC/MS. The relative proportion of ketone in licorice was diminished after irradiation. The relative amount of hydrocarbons in irradiated cinnamon bark and apricot kernel was higher than that in non-irradiated samples. Therefore, ketone in licorice and hydrocarbons in cinnamon bark and apricot kernel can be considered radiolytic markers. Three unsaturated hydrocarbons, i.e., 1,7,10-hexadecatriene, 6,9-heptadecadiene, and 8-heptadecene, were detected only in apricot kernels irradiated at 25 and 50 kGy. These three hydrocarbons could be used as radiolytic markers to distinguish between irradiated (>25 kGy) and non-irradiated apricot kernels.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyeon A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ki
authors.forename: Won Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sukdeb
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Byeong Keun
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woo Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Joon Myong
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D002935:Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D039323:Coptis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D005419:Flavonoids; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D018514:Plant Structures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D032104:Poncirus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C119641:poncirin