TRACE ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF A POPULAR HERB USED IN HEMORRHOID TREATMENT IN KATSINA USING AAS

There has been an increase in the utilization of traditional herbal drugs for different medications and heath 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 was purchased from local markets, prepared and analyzed using 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 the 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 minimal. Future studies should perform a detailed chemical risk assessment, especially taking into cognizance the increase in the number of diseases of unknown etiology in the region.