Authors:
DONG Meiying¹, LI Dongmei¹, SUN Jianyun¹, LI Yongjun¹*, WANG Yuxia¹, LI Weiping²
¹ Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, China
² Gansu Tianyou Occupational Health Technical Service Co., Ltd., Lanzhou, China

 

Abstract

Objective:
This study aims to quantify and evaluate the macro- and microelement composition of Cistanche deserticola collected from eight key production regions in Gansu Province, China. The objective is to determine how geographical origin affects elemental content and to support the development of high-quality, safe, and traceable herbal supplements.

Methods:
Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), we analyzed 20 essential and trace elements in 54 samples from Dunhuang, Linze, Jinta, Guazhou, Minqin, Gulang, Jingyuan, and Jingtai. Data were statistically processed through correlation analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify compositional patterns and regional signatures.

Results:
Total elemental concentrations varied significantly among regions, ranked (highest to lowest) as:
Dunhuang > Jinta > Minqin > Guazhou > Gulang > Jingtai > Jingyuan > Linze.
Elements with relatively high concentrations included Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, Zn, Sr, B, and Mn, while Be, Sn, Cr, Co, Mo, and Hg were present at minimal levels. Five principal components were extracted with a cumulative variance explanation of 78.96%, and a comprehensive ranking model was developed:

Composite Score Formula:
Y = 0.380Y₁ + 0.333Y₂ + 0.137Y₃ + 0.078Y₄ + 0.071Y₅

Final PCA-Based Regional Ranking:
Dunhuang > Guazhou > Gulang > Jingtai > Jingyuan > Jinta > Linze > Minqin

Conclusion:
The study highlights significant geo-elemental diversity in Cistanche deserticola. These findings provide a scientific foundation for quality control, origin authentication, and safe formulation of Cistanche-based dietary supplements.

 

Fresh Cistanche Raw Materials

 

 

Introduction

Cistanche deserticola-known in traditional Chinese medicine as "Rou Cong Rong" (肉苁蓉)-is a parasitic desert herb often referred to as the "Ginseng of the Desert." It has been extensively recorded in ancient Chinese pharmacopeias, including the Shennong Bencao Jing and Compendium of Materia Medica. With a long history of medicinal use, this herb is valued for its tonic properties, including:

Enhancing vitality and endurance

Improving reproductive health

Anti-aging and neuroprotective functions

Lowering blood lipids and glucose levels

As a dual-purpose medicinal food, Cistanche is used in health beverages, functional teas, liquor infusions, and increasingly, in modern herbal dietary supplements across Asia, including Japan and China.

Cistanche tubulosa

 

Why Elemental Profiling Matters for Herbal Supplement Development

In recent years, consumers have become increasingly conscious of the quality, safety, and traceability of herbal ingredients. Elemental composition is a critical factor in determining both the nutritional value and geo-origin authentication of medicinal plants. Since mineral uptake in plants is strongly influenced by soil, climate, and regional ecology, geographic traceability through elemental profiling offers a robust method to:

Identify premium-quality sourcing areas

Ensure heavy metal safety compliance

Support standardization and certification

Develop region-specific branding for supplements

cistanche base with wecistanche scientists

 

Materials and Methods

Sample Collection

A total of 54 Cistanche deserticola samples were collected from 8 major cultivation regions in Gansu Province:

Region	Number of Samples
Jingyuan	8
Jingtai	6
Dunhuang	5
Linze	9
Jinta	8
Guazhou	7
Gulang	6
Minqin	5

Instrumentation

ICP-MS: PlasmaQuant MS (Analytik Jena, Germany)

Microwave Digestion: UltraWAVE (Milestone, Italy)

Analytical Balance: ME204 (Mettler Toledo, China)

Sample Crusher: AM500S (Antsource, China)

Reagents

Nitric Acid (AR grade), Hydrogen Peroxide (AR grade)

Standard solutions for Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, As, Ni

Internal standards Ge, In, Bi (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

ICP-MS Parameters

Plasma power: 1.35 kW

Nebulizer gas: 0.94 L/min

Cooling gas: 10.5 L/min

Auxiliary gas: 1.35 L/min

Peristaltic pump: 15 r/min

Sample Preparation

Dried and sliced samples were ground and digested using a mixture of 6 mL HNO₃ + 1 mL H₂O₂, followed by microwave-assisted digestion. Samples were diluted to 25 mL with ultrapure water and analyzed alongside blanks and calibration standards.

Element Panel (20 Elements)

Li, Be, B, Mg, Al, Ca, Cr, Sn, Ba, Hg, Pb, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Mo

Cistanche dried raw materials for the dietary supplement

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Results and Discussion

1. Regional Variation in Elemental Content

Top Concentrations: Ca, Mg, Fe, Al, Zn, Sr, B, Mn

Low Concentrations: Be, Sn, Cr, Co, Mo, Hg

Highest Total Content: Dunhuang

Lowest Total Content: Linze

These differences confirm the geo-accumulation effect and highlight the importance of region-specific sourcing when formulating supplements.

2. Correlation and PCA Analysis

Strong inter-element correlations suggest consistent uptake mechanisms, making these elements useful as geo-authentication markers.
The PCA model explained nearly 79% of the variance, identifying five major components influencing elemental composition.

 

Conclusion and Applications

This study affirms that elemental profiling via ICP-MS is a powerful tool for determining the origin, quality, and safety of Cistanche deserticola. For herbal supplement developers, this data offers:

Validated sourcing regions (e.g., Dunhuang, Guazhou)

Mineral composition benchmarks for formulation

Scientific support for regulatory compliance and marketing

Geo-traceability tools for premium branding