Quantitative ICP-OES Determination of Trace and Essential Elements in the Plant Species of Genus Ferula

Abstract

Some of the species belonging to the genus ferula are known to be used as traditional medicine for treating various diseases in South Asia, the Middle East, and in North Africa. In this study, samples from 20 varieties of plants belonging to 20 species of the genus ferula L. (Apiaceae) were collected from various regions of Turkey. After air drying, the samples were solubilized by using the microwave dissolution technique. The concentration levels of the different elements (Al, B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, and Zn) were determined by ICP-OES. The accuracy of the proposed method was verified by analyzing certified reference materials SRM 1573a Tomato and INCT-TL-1 Tea Leaves. The results showed a significant variation of elemental content, especially for Al, B, Ba, and Fe amongst the fruit- and flower-bearing plants of the different plant species of the same genus. This clearly indicates that each plant species has a different absorption and accumulation capacity for different metals. Further work on the accumulation of these metals in the leaves and shoots of the plants is in progress.