Determination of the Elemental Composition of Aromatic Plants Cultivated Industrially in the Republic of Moldova Using Neutron Activation Analysis

Abstract

The mineral contents of roots, leaves, stalks, and inflorescences of the aromatic plant species Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch, and Salvia sclarea L. were studied by means of neutron activation analysis. The contents of 36 major and trace elements were determined and biological transfer coefficients were calculated. Among major and minor elements, K with a content in the range of 9230–59,600 mg/kg and Fe in the range of 69–3420 mg/kg were the most abundant elements in the studied plants. The content of the toxicant As ranged between 0.14–0.79 mg/kg; however, in the leaves (1.3 mg/kg) and inflorescences (1.0 mg/kg) of L. angustifolia there was found to be about 1 mg/kg, equal to the guideline maximal level recommended for food by the WHO. By comparing the data to Markert’s Reference Plant, “chemical fingerprints” were identified for each species. High contents of the elements Al, Hf, Se, Sc, Na, Ta, Th were determined in all studied plants. Collocated soil samples from the cultivation field were analyzed to calculate the biological accumulation coefficients for 35 of the elements determined in the plants. Considering the levels of chemical elements, the medicinal herb samples investigated are considered as relatively safe for human consumption.