Simultaneous Determination of 22 Inorganic Elements in Moringa Seeds by ICP-MS and Principal Component Analysis and Cluster analysis

Objective: To establish ICP-MS for the simultaneous determination of Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb 22 kinds of inorganic elements, Determine the content and distribution characteristics of inorganic elements in Moringa seeds. Method: Collected samples from 10 different origins (Honghe Yuanyang, Honghe Honghe, Honghe Kaiyuan, Chuxiong Yuanmou, Dehong Mangshi, Chuxiong Shuangbai, Zhaotong Qiaojia, Kunming Dongchuan, Yuxi Yuanjiang, and Lijiang Huaping). The samples were treated by microwave digestion and determined by ICP-MS. The fingerprint of inorganic elements was established. The inorganic elements were evaluated by SPSS cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Results: The proposed method showed good linearity with r>0.999 for all inorganic elements, the detection limits were 0.04~78.44 μg/L and the RSD of precision complied with the regulations (RSD<5%). The recoveries were 80.13%~113.66% (RSD<10%). Moringa seeds were rich in inorganic elements that are beneficial to the human body, and lower harmful elements; The principal component analysis selected 4 principal factors, and the results indicated that Zn, Ca, Cu, Fe, Cr, Ba and Al may be the characteristic elements. The cluster analysis was divided into two groups, indicating that the element contents were related to the ecological environment. Conclusion: ICP-MS can be used for the content determination of the inorganic elements of Moringa seeds. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis can be used to evaluate the quality of Moringa seeds, and provide research foundation for the development and utilization of Moringa seeds.