Content of trace metals in medicinal plants and their extracts

• Published in: Hemijska industrija Vol. 65; no. 2; pp. 165 - 170
• Main Authors: Kostić, D., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia), Mitić, S., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia), Zarubica, A., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia), Mitić, M., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia), Veličković, J., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia), Ranđelović, S., Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Niš (Serbia)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Serbian
• Published: Belgrade Hemijska Industrija 01.01.2011; Association of Chemical Engineers of Serbia
• Subjects: AAS; Alternative medicine; Copper; DRUG PLANTS; ESPECTROFOTOMETRIA; Ethanol; EXTRACTOS VEGETALES; extracts; EXTRAIT D'ORIGINE VAGATALE; Flowers & plants; HEAVY METALS; Herbal medicine; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_14497; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2223; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_2393; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_49909; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_8166; Iron; Manganese; MATAL LOURD; medicinal plants; METALES PESADOS; PLANT EXTRACTS; PLANTAS MEDICINALES; PLANTE MADICINALE; SERBIA; SERBIE; SPECTROPHOTOMATRIE; SPECTROPHOTOMETRY; Trace metals; Zinc; Serbia
• ISSN: 0367-598X; 2217-7426
• DOI: 10.2298/HEMIND101005075K

The heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn) contents of selected plant species, grown in Southeast region of Serbia, that are traditionally used in alternative medicine were determined. Among the considered metals, iron content was the highest one and varied from 137.53 up to 423.32 mg/kg, while the contents of Cu, Zn and Mn were remarkably lower, and ranged from 8.91 to 62.20 mg/kg. In addition, an analysis of plants extracts showed a significant transfer of heavy metals during extraction procedure; therefore, the corresponding extraction coefficients reached values up to 88.8%. Those were especially high in the ethanol based extracts. Moreover, it is was established that such coefficients mostly depend on the solvent nature and also on the treated plant species. The obtained results impose that medicinal plants from Southeast region of Serbia due to rather low content of heavy metals are appropriate for preparation of teas and medicinal extracts.