[Comparison of the contents of trace elements in the roots of four original danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge)].

The root and rhizome of danshen (salvia miltiorrhiza bunge), one of the earliest and also the most commonly used herbal drugs in practice of traditional Chinese medicines, has been confirmed effective for coronary heart disease, including angina pectoris, coronary artery spasm, myocardial infarction, etc., based on modern investigations. And some trace elements were found related to these diseases. Therefore it was important to research trace elements and their contents in the root for studying pharmic mechanism of danshen. The contents of 22 trace elements, including Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, V, Mn, Cr, Cu, Rb, Sr, Ba, Pb, B, As, Se, Li, Co, Ni, Mo, Cd, Sn and Hg, in the roots of danshen germplasm, originating from four planting regions and grew in the same place, were analyzed by ICP-MS/ICP-AES. The results showed that the contents of trace elements in the root of Shandong white flower danshen were higher as a whole. And the contents of Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ba, Li, Co, Ni and Hg in the root of Shandong white flower danshen were the highest among the four kinds of original danshen, in which the contents of Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni and Hg were significantly higher than those in the three kinds of original violet flower danshen. The contents of Rb and Mo in the root of Shanxishangluo violet flower danshen were the smallest and that of Ni was the highest among the three kinds of original violet flower danshen. Compared with the difference between white flower danshen and violet flower danshen, the difference of rest nineteen kinds of trace elements contents among the three kinds of original violet flower danshen was smaller. The difference in the contents of trace elements has an important effect on the research into the contents of officinal ingredients and their curative effect of the roots of four kinds of original danshen germplasm.