| Objective: Development of a method for the simultaneous determination of various metallic elements in the feces of Periplaneta americana L..Methods: The samples were dissolved by microwave, and the mixed metal ion standard solution was used as the control. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the contents of 11 metal elements, including Arsenic As, Cadmium Cd, Aluminum Al, Nickel Ni, Copper Cu, Mercury Hg, Chromium Cr, Cobalt Co, Lead Pb, Manganese Mn and Iron Fe. Results: The linearity of the elements to be measured was good in the concentration range with the correlation coefficient r≥0.999 0. The detection limits of the method were 0.002~0.067 μg/mL, and the average spiked recoveries were 96.37%~102.01% with the RSDs in the range of 2.82%~13.49%, and the RSDs of the reproducibility and precision were both less than 5.0%. Six elements, including Al, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Fe, were detected in the feces of both nymphs and adults of P. americana. The average content order is Fe > Al > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cr. The content of each element in nymphs is slightly lower than that in adults, while the other five elements, As, Cd, Hg, Co, and Pb, were not detected. Conclusion: The ICP-OES method can simultaneously determine the content of multiple metal elements in the feces of P. americana,Which contains six elements including Al, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Fe, and their content slightly increases with the increase of insect age. Harmful metal elements such as As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were not detected. This study can provide a preliminary theoretical basis for the potential value and safety assessment of the feces of P. americana in medical applications. |
