TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF SOME MEDICINAL HERBS BY PROTON INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE)
Abstract
Proton induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) has been used to investigate the concentration of nineteen trace elements in eleven medicinal herbs commonly used for the treatment of different diseases in Pakistan. Mg, Si, K, Ca and Fe were detected in all the medicinal herbs studied. Germanium has been detected only in violet flower. Indian Lilac, field marigold and violet flower have the highest number of trace elements with maximum concentration. No toxic elements such as Pb, Hg etc. were detected in these medicinal herbs. The accuracy of our results was validated by analyzing standard reference material Citrus Leaf (NIST- SRM -1572). Results indicate that medicinal herbs are a rich source of trace elements which may be useful for the cure of certain ailments.References
E. J. Underwood, Trace Elements in Human
and Animal Nutrition, 4th edn, Academic
Press, New York.
A. F. Oluwole, O. I. Asubiojo, A. D. Adekile,
R.H. Filby, A. Bragg and C.I. Grimm, Biol.
Trace Elem. Res. 26 (1990) 479.
R. Gowrishankar, M. Kumar, V. Menon, S. M.
Divi, M. Saravanan, P. Magudapathy, B. K.
Panigrahi, K. G. M. Nair and K. Venkataramaniah, Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 133 (2010)
S. A. E Johansson and J.L. Campbell, PIXE:
A Novel Technique for Elemental Analysis,
Wiley, New York (1988).
T. A. Cahill, Ann. Rev. Nucl. Sci. 30 (1980)
E. M. Johansson and S. E. Johansson, Nucl.
Instr. Meth. 133 (1984)154.
H. M. Saeed, Medicinal Herbs, Hamdard
National Foundation, Karachi (1996).
Mineral Information Institute, A Periodic
Table of Elements from Mineral Information Institute, The Role of Elements in Life
Processes, Mineral Information Institute,
Golden, CO. Available from htt://www.mii.
Org/periodic/ Life element. html pp1-25.
J. Anderson, L.Young and E. Long (2008)
Colorado State University www.ext.colostate
.edu/PUBS/foodnut/09355.html.
F. Sizer and E. Whitney, Nutrition: Concepts
and Controversies, 8th edn. Wadsworth,
Belmont (1999).
K.S. Chen, C.L. Tseng and T.H Lin, J.
Radioanal. Chem. 57 (1980) 205.
L. F. Chun, Trace Elements 1 (1987) 62.
M. L. Failla, J. Nutr. 133 (2003) 1443S.
R. A. Andreson, Sci. Total Environ. 86
(1989) 75.