Geographical Origin Traceability and Varietal Classification of Zanthoxylum Based on Mineral Profile

The concentrations of 21 mineral elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Na, K, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, Ni, Pb, As, Se,Hg, Cr, V and Sr) of 80 Zanthoxylum samples collected from 9 main producing regions in China (Z. bungeanum Maxim:Hancheng in Shaanxi, Hanyuan in Sichuan, Maowen in Sichuan and Wudu in Gansu; Z. schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc: Zhaotong in Yunnan, Guanling in Guizhou, Jinyang in Sichuan, Hanyuan in Sichuan, and Jiangjin in Chongqing) were determined by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) were used to analyze the data obtained. The 80 samples were classified into nine groups by PCA and PLS-DA, agreeing with the actual grouping.The classification ability of PLS-DA was better than that of PCA and could effectively distinguish between Z. bungeanum Maxim. and Z. schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. This study demonstrated that the combination of multi-element analysis and PLSDA can be an effective tool for identifying the geographical origin and variety of Zanthoxylum. © 2019, China Food Publishing Company. All right reserved.