Determination and Evaluation of the Metals and Metalloids in the Chapeu-de-couro (Echinodorus macrophyllus (Kunth) Micheli)

• Published in: Biological trace element research Vol. 154; no. 3; pp. 412 - 417
• Main Authors: Barbosa, Uenderson Araujo, dos Santos, Ivanice Ferreira, dos Santos, Ana Maria Pinto, dos Santos, Debora Correia, da Costa, Grenivel Mota
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer-Verlag 01.09.2013; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alismataceae - chemistry; Antimony; Antimony - analysis; Aquariums; Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Brazil; Cadmium - analysis; Chromium; Chromium - analysis; Cluster Analysis; Echinodorus; Echinodorus macrophyllus; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - chemistry; Indigenous plants; indigenous species; lead; Lead - analysis; Leaves; Life Sciences; Manganese; Manganese - analysis; Mass spectrometry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; medicinal properties; Metal concentrations; Metalloids - analysis; Metals - analysis; Multivariate analysis; Nitric acid; Nitric Acid - chemistry; Nutrition; Oncology; Plant biology; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plasma; Principal Component Analysis; Principal components analysis; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Rivers; Trace elements; Water - metabolism; Water analysis; Brazil; Brazil, Bahia, Paraguacu R; Metals and metalloids; ICP-MS; HCA; PCA
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-013-9730-8

The Chapeu-de-couro (Echinodorus macrophyllus (Kunth) Micheli) is a native plant from Brazil, which has been mainly used in medicinal application being a potent antirheumatic and diuretic, in the production of soft drinks, and also in the ornamentation of aquariums. In this paper, the metals and metalloids for the leaves of chapeu-de-couro collected in the Paraguacu River from the city Cachoeira, Bahia State, Brazil, was determined and evaluated using multivariate analysis. The samples were digested using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analysis of a certified reference material of apple leaves, furnished by National Institute of Standard and Technology. The study involved 15 samples of the Paraguacu River. The results expressed as milligrams of element per kilogram of sample demonstrated that the concentration ranges varied: 1.39–5.27 for chromium, 44.85–165.39 for manganese, 0.55–0.84 for arsenic, 0.01–3.94 for antimony, and 0.18–0.31 for lead. The principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis evidenced that the concentrations of the metals and metalloids varied according with the variations in the water of the Paraguacu.