Elemental profile of herb and medicinal plant using spectro analytical AAS technique

Abstract

Medicinal plants and herbs are largely used due to its wide application in the traditional medicinal system. These plants are the true backbones of a wide range of local health traditions and are largely used in 3 different forms: Curative, promotive and preventive. In rural areas, people depend on local traditional healing systems for their primary healthcare. Several attempts have been made by the researchers to determine the major, minor and trace elemental compositions with respect to human health. In the present study the elemental analysis was carried out for a medicinal plant and a herb collected from Gulbarga and Shivamogga of Karnataka region using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) technique. A total of 09 elements viz. as Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Al, Cr, Mn, Cu and Zn were determined. Among all the elements, the concentration of Ca was recorded as highest in both the herb and medicinal plant followed by K, Mg, Fe, etc. and few elements were at trace level concentration. Monitoring such traditional herb and medicinal plant for elemental concentration is of great importance for physicians, health care professionals, and policymakers in protecting the public from the adverse effects. © 2019 Author(s).