Determination of mineral and trace element in some medicinal plants in north region of Iraq by spectroscopic method

The aim of this study, to determine the concentrations of some important minerals and trace elements, such as macro mineral; magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), trace elements; zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), ultra-trace elements; manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), in some of medicinal plants such as dill (Anethum graveolens L), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), black mulberry (Morus nigra), oak galls (Dyer's Oak) (Quercus infectoria), basil (Ocimum basilicum L), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L), peppermint (Mentha x piperita L), ginger (Zingiber officinale), purslane (Portulaca oleracea L), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), some of these plants which naturally grown in the Northern Region Iraq. For this purpose, during 2016 these plants were harvested from around Erbil. Microwave digestion procedure was applied under optimized conditions for digesting sample of plants. Concentrations of minerals and trace elements in sample of plants were determined by using High Resolution Continuum Source Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR CS-FAAS). Calcium and magnesium observed with the highest concentration in all the medicinal plants studied as compared to other trace elements recorded. The studied medicinal plants were found calcium in basil ( 5.63 ± 0.36 mg/g) and magnesium in purslane ( 1.37 ± 0.12 mg/g ) respectively, Also copper ( 0.38 ± 0.03 µg/g ) in Cinnamon was found to be the lowest concentration in all the medicinal plants studied as compared to other trace elements recorded. Decreasing sequence of the mean concentrations of the minerals and trace elements levels in medicinal plants studied were found in this orders: Ca > Mg > Zn > Fe > Al > Pb > Ni > Mn > Cu.