This study was performed to investigate contamination levels of aflatoxins, the secondary metabolites produced by fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, in herbal medicine. Herbs is susceptible to these fungi infections through its growth harvest, transport and storage. This study determine the aflatoxin B₁, B₂, G₁ and G₂levels by HPLC-florescence detector coupled with photochemical enhancement in 558 samples herbal medicine distributed in Korea and China. Also, We checked a transfer ratio of aflatoxins from raw herbal medicines to herbal medicine extract. Hot water extraction of herbal medicines was prepared by air pressure and high pressure condition. The analytical method for aflatoxins was validated in this method. In results recoveries of the analytical method were ranged from 67.4% to 96.2% and, limits of detection and quantitation for aflatoxins were 0.015~0.138 μg/kg and 0.046~0.418 μg/kg, respectively. According to the results of monitoring on aflatoxins in herbal medicine, aflatoxins 1.7 ug/kg B1 and 0.9 ug/kg G₁were detected in only one sample of Strychni Ignatii Semen, and 0.8 ug/kg G₁ in Strychni Semen. About 13.6~51.3% of aflatoxins were transferred to hot water extract. Although the detected levels are under the permitted levels for aflatoxins in herbal medicine, these amounts should be considered in regard to overall daily exposure to mycotoxins.

In this study, microbial investigation is accomplished for 554 Jeot-kal samples (102 of Jeot-kal, 448 of Seasoned Jeot-kal and 4 of Sik-khe, respectively) that corresponds with Coliform-bacteria, Escherichia coli, Aerobic live bacteria as hygienic indicator microorganisms, and Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus as Food-borne pathogenic microorganisms. Based on the methods in Korea Food Code, reliable data are obtained as follows; in 31.9% rate of the samples, Coliform bacteria are verified in the extent of 0~20,000 CFU/g as 2.3 logCFU/g. Especially, Seasoned Jeot-kal (37.7%, 2.3 logCFU/g) are detected to 6 and 2 folds higher than those of Jeot-kal, 5.9% and 1.4 logCFU/g. Likewise, Escherichia coli is detected from 9 samples only in Seasoned Jeot-kal, that includes seasoned squid, seasoned octopus, seasoned roe of pollack, seasoned large-eyed herring and seasoned hairtail. Aerobic live bacteria are also detected in the range of 0~8.9 × 108 CFU/g. Against salinity, E. coli are detected in samples only less than 10% salinity. Concomitantly, aerobic live bacteria count is decreased to 5.5~3.6 log CFU/g upon the salinity is increased up to 25%. However, S. aureus and V. parahaemolyticus are not detected in 554 samples, presumptively referring Jeot-kal products are somehow free from such food-borne pathogens. As the results above, we deliberately consider that the sanitary control in Jeot-kal, which be necessarily fermented- as well as non-microbially inactivated should be ensured in near future and also suggest an effectual microbial standard corresponding to the Negativity in E. coli for Jeot-kal products.