To test 31 kinds of inorganic elements in fresh, traditionally dried and vacuum-sealed dried Lycium barbarum from 4 major producing regions (Qinghai, Ningxia, Gansu and Xinjiang) in China, analyze and compare the content variations across different geographical origins and processing techniques.

Microwave digestion coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was employed to determine the concentrations of 31 kinds of inorganic elements in Lycium barbarum. WPS 12.1.0.26375 was used to organize data, and one-way analysis of variance was performed using R software to analyze the differences in inorganic elements among Lycium barbarum from different regions and processing methods.

The elements with the highest content in Lycium barbarum,ranked in descending order, were K, Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, Al, Zn, B, Cu, Mn, Sr and Rb. For the 12 kinds of aforementioned elements in fresh Lycium barbarum from the 4 regions, all except Rb showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05), while Rb exhibited no significant variation (P>0.05). In Ningxia samples, the content of Na, Fe, and Al in traditionally dried Lycium barbarum were 5.2–6.4 times those in fresh ones, whereas in vacuum-sealed dried Lycium barbarum these elements were 1.8–2.8 times higher than in fresh ones.

The microwave digestion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method is accurate and reliable, enabling simultaneous analysis of macroelements,microelements and trace elements in Lycium barbarum, and is suitable for high-throughput analysis of inorganic elements in Lycium barbarum across multiple scenarios. The traditional drying process leads to abnormal enrichment of Na and Al in Lycium barbarum, which can be mitigated by the vacuum-sealed drying process. Special attention should be paid to health education on Lycium barbarum consumption for vulnerable populations such as the elderly.