Content of macro- and microelements in the plants of Artemisia annua L., A. ludoviciana Nutt. and A. austriaca L.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate mineral composition of the plants species Artemisia annua L., A. ludoviciana Nutt. and A. austriaca L. Methods. Determination of the elemental composition of plant material was carried out by the X-ray fluorescence method. Results. The content of mineral elements in plants depends on their individual ability to absorb elements from the soil and accumulate them in the roots, leaves and flowers. Plant samples of three species of wormwood were grown and studied during the flowering phase under conditions of introduction in M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NBG) during 2019–2022. The qualitative and quantitative content of different macro- and microelements in the soil and plants were investigated. It was shown that aerial parts of the investigated plants accumulate the most important elements for the plants life, such as – K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn. Mesoelements Ca and S are present in sufficient quantities also. Elements Nb, Y, Ti, V, Cr were detected in soil, but were not determined in plants. Only A. annua plants contains Ni and Se, while A. ludoviciana and A. annua plants contain Pb. The amount of toxic elements in plants did not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations for vegetable raw materials and food products. Conclusion. Content of the main macro- and microelements was determined in the plants A. annua, A. ludoviciana and A. austriaca growing in NBG. The tendency of plants A. ludoviciana to accumulate high concentrations of iron in the roots and aerial part was observed. The obtained data will be useful for forecasting and evaluating the results of introduction of new promising species of the genus Artemisia, in breeding of new varieties of wormwood, to determine their pharmacological properties and to make a decision about the feasibility of using them in herbal tea and food products.