Study of the elemental composition of plants and extracts of medicinal plants through X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

Medicinal plant extracts are mostly used in different kinds of products in different areas, such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and veterinary, being employed in different dosages and applications. It is known that the metabolism of the human body is regulated by the presence or absence of certain chemical elements. Some elements enter vital functions, such as potassium and calcium. Potassium helps in muscle contractions, especially of the heart muscle, and calcium enters as an specific element in the bone composition. Some other elements like heavy metals (As, Hg, Cd, and Pb) are highly toxic to the human body, even at quite low concentrations. Therefore, there is the need to investigate the chemical composition of plants and medicinal extracts, because the presence of some elements in levels concentrations, as well as the deficiency of others, can lead to a series of metabolic disorders in the human body. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of plants and extracts of medicinal plants, using the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluoresce (EDXRF) technique, to assessing the chemical composition of plants and extracts. The qualitative and quantitative chemical elements investigated in the plants and extracts were: As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Zn, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Rb, Zr, Cd, Sn, Ba, Hg, Pb, Bi, Mo, Pd, and Pt.