Selection of herbal medicines requiring quality control for loss on drying, total ash, and acid-insoluble ash in Korea

The quality inspections items such as loss on drying, total ash, and acid-insoluble ash contents in herbal medicines, have a correlation with external sources of pollution, but are not themselves hazardous factors. Z-scores for standard normal distribution were used to investigate herbal medicines requiring quality control, which exceeds the regulatory limits of quality inspection. In total, 7,773 samples were analyzed based on plant parts. For the loss on drying, the numbers of items of herbal medicines requiring quality control are like these; 15 items for above-ground parts and 5 items for underground parts. For the total ash, 21 items for above-ground parts and 4 items for underground parts. For the acid-insoluble ash, 8 items for above-ground parts and 1 item for underground parts.