Study on Trace Elements Concentration in Medicinal Plants Using EDXRF Technique.

Ten medicinal plants used as ingredients of folklore and Ayurvedic medicine belonging to the Malnad Kerala region of South India, were analysed for concentrations of trace elements Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb using the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. The soil from the root area of these medicinal plants was also analysed, and the soil to plant transfer factor (TF) of the elements was estimated. Iron (Fe) recorded higher concentration than the other trace elements estimated in the medicinal plants, followed by manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). The mean TF was found to be highest for Zn. Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng recorded the maximum value of TF for Zn. Most of the essential elements were found to be present in Centella asiatica (L.) Urban and indicated its medicinal importance. The data obtained in the present investigation may add up to the trace elemental database of medicinal plants in the world.