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The modern concept of medicinal plant safety requires a multifaceted risk assessment, including chemical composition, extraction and dosage form technology, raw material quality, environmental conditions, and the impact of production processes. The growth of industrial waste and the ability of plants to accumulate toxic elements highlight the need for strict monitoring of heavy metal impurities and the impact of solvents on safety at all stages of the product life cycle. The aim of the study was to determine the heavy metal and arsenic content in Scutellaria plant materials cultivated in the Astrakhan region, with the intent of assessing the safety of using the material in preclinical studies. Samples of Scutellaria supina L., Scutellaria hastifolia L., and Scutellaria albida L., cultivated and harvested in the Astrakhan region, were analyzed. Heavy metal and arsenic content were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. All samples contained the specified heavy metals and arsenic within the permissible concentrations. Compared with the maximum limits, the lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic contents in Scutellaria supina L., Scutellaria hastifolia L., and Scutellaria albida L. samples were below the established thresholds. Specifically, lead concentrations were 5.1–10.0 times lower, mercury 5.3–7.1 times lower, cadmium 8.6–12.7 times lower, and arsenic 9.8–13.2 times lower across the Scutellaria plant species. The observed difference between the species is likely related to the specific metal accumulation patterns in plant tissues. The obtained results confirm the feasibility of using Scutellaria plants cultivated in the Astrakhan Region as starting material for further preclinical trials.
Keywords:medicinal plant material, drug, contaminants, heavy metals, arsenic, Scutellaria, preclinical trials, Scutellaria supina L., Scutellaria hastifolia L., Scutellaria albida L., general pharmacopoeial monograph.
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