Objective: To establish the content determination method of 11 heavy metals in Alstonia scholaris leaves

oleanolic

ursolic acid content determination methods and HPLC fingerprint

and explore the heavy metals content and overall quality of the A. scholaris leaves in order to provide the reference for the harvest of medicinal material. Method: All the samples were divided into two groups: S1-S12 were from different plantations

and S13-S22 were collected from different streets greening. ICP-MS was used to determinate the content of heavy metals

and HPLC fingerprint combined with similarity evaluation and principal component analysis was used to evaluate overall quality variation of two groups of samples. Result: Except Se and Hg in few samples

all the other metals were detected in which the content of Fe and Mn was higher and the content of As

Se

Pb was lower. Hg element was detected in street green samples with the average of 0.1 μg·g-1 but lower than the limit of detection in plantation samples. The content RSD of As and Se in plantation samples was more than 120%

and Cr and Ni content RSD was higher than 60%. Contents RSD of Cr

Mn

Fe

Ni

As and Se in road greening samples was higher than 70%

and such variation was bigger than that in the plantation samples. RSD of Cu

Se and Pb was equivalent in two groups. The contents of Pb

Cd

Hg

Cu and As in 22 samples were not beyond the standard according to the requirements in Foreign Trade and Economic Standards of Medicinal Plants and Preparations (WM/T2-2004). However

these toxic heavy metals in the road greening samples showed an increasing trend. 16 common peaks were marked in plantation samples and the fingerprint of street greening samples had marked 13 common peaks. Two groups of samples had significant differences in chromatographic peak number and absorbance. The similarity was higher in plantation samples

> 0.95 except for S1

S4 and S11; the similarity was lower in greening samples

only S18 >0.9

with discrete distribution between 0.557-0.895 for the remaining samples. 12 common peaks were marked in two groups

and the common peaks areas of plantation samples were larger

with RSD of common peaks areas less than that in greening ones. The results of PCA revealed that two group samples were separated in two parts. Conclusion: The results indicated that heavy metals contents and the content variation in the samples from street greening were increased as compared with the samples from plantations

and at the same time

their chemical compositions and contents were relatively lower. In order to ensure drugs safety and clinical efficacy

it is suggested that the A. scholaris leaves from road greening shall not be used as a source of Dai medicine.