Determination of trace element and some important polyphenols in various herbs

ABSTRACTMs. C. ThesisDETERMINATION OF TRACE ELEMENT AND SOME IMPORTANT POLYPHENOLSIN VARIOUS HERBSSerkan BASGELInonu UniversityGraduate School of Natural and Applied SciencesDepartment of Chemistry102 + x pages2005Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Sema B. ERDEMOGLUIn this study, fourteen macro and micro elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg,Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn) were determined in the herbs that are widely consumed for medicalpurposes as tea in Turkey such as chamomile (Matricaria chammomile L.), fennel(Foeniculum vulgare), linden (Tilia vulgaris), nettle (Urtica dioical), rosehip (Fr.Rosacaninae), sage (Salvia officinalis) and senna (Cassia anqustifolia) and their infusions. Beforethe analysis of this herbs microwave digestion and wet digestion procedures were performedfor dissolution of herbs. Ca and Mg concentrations in the herbs and infusions were determinedby FAAS, Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, Ba, Mn, Sr, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd and Pb concentrations were determinedby ICP-AES. The accuracy and precision were verified against a GBW 07605 Poplar leavesand Tea certified reference material. The other objective of this study is to establish the levelsof polyphenols such as gallic acid, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, epigallocatechingallate and epicatechin in the infusions of this herbs habitually consumed for medicalpurposes in Turkey. After a suitable sample preparation procedure (water extraction) forpolyphenols analysis, a simple, rapid, and precise gradient RP-HPLC method with aneconomical mobile phase was utilized for simultaneous separation, identification andquantification of individual polyphenols.KEYWORDS: Element, microwave digestion, wet digestion, FAAS, ICP-AES, polyphenol,RP-HPLC