Evaluation of major and trace elements in medicinal plants

Abstract

This study presents the elemental concentration results obtained from 59 medicinal plants used in Brazil, determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS). The selected plant species were chosen from the Brazilian National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance (ANVISA) list of herbs recommended for utilization by the Public System of Health in Brazil (SUS). The results showed that high levels of foreign matter were found in almost 50% of the analyzed samples. The concentration of the elements varied in a wide range, although, generally in accordance with values found in literature. High concentrations of Ba, Cr, Fe, Hg, Se and Ni were found in some samples. The enrichment factor indicated that potentially hazardous elements can be accumulated mainly in the bark of the plants, possibly indicating an anthropogenic contribution.