Levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in Mondia whitei, a medicinal plant used in traditional medicine for erectile dysfunction in Ghana

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine fourteen organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in the root of Mondia whitei sampled from Kwahu-East and Biakoye Districts of Ghana using a Varian CP-3800 Gas Chromatograph equipped with a 63 Ni electron capture detector. The mean concentrations of the OCP residues were investigated at different season, of which seven were among the banned pesticides in Ghana. The mean OCP residue concentrations at dry season were found to range from 0.005 to 0.082 mg/kg and at rainy season the mean OCP residue concentrations ranged from not detected to 0.026 mg/kg. Mean OCP residue concentrations were much higher in the matrices collected in the dry season compared to those of the wet season. The total OCP mean residue concentrations in M. whitei also ranged from 0.038 to 0.528 mg/kg, with the highest total mean levels of 0.528 mg/kg recorded in the matrices collected from Kwahu-East District in the dry season while the lowest total OCP residue concentrations were detected in the matrices collected from the Biakoye District in the rainy season. With the exception of heptachlor in M. whitei from Kwahu-East District and residue levels obtained for the sum of aldrin and dieldrin in M. whitei from Biakoye and Kwahu-East Districts during the dry season, the mean values obtained were generally below maximum residue limits set forth by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Codex Alimentarius Commission and United States/European Pharmacopoeia.