Abstract
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an important spice and medicinal plant used in different parts of the world. The objective of current study was to determine the level of essential and non-essential metals in ginger and its correlation with concentration of metals in the supporting soil. The level of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Cd and Pb in soil and ginger cultivated in the selected districts of Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. A 0.5 g ginger sample was digested using a mixture of 4 ml HNO3 and 1.5 ml HClO4 at 210°C for 150 minutes, and a 0.5 g soil sample was digested employing a mixture of 6 ml aqua-regia and 1 ml H2O2 at 280°C for 150 minutes. The metal concentrations range in dry weight basis for ginger samples is decreasing in the order: K (1691 - 3487 mg/kg) > Mg (701 - 1583 mg/kg) > Ca (862 - 1476 mg/kg) > Na (398 - 776 mg/kg) > Mn (325 - 672 mg/kg) > Fe (6.14 - 11.92 mg/kg) > Zn (5.30 - 10.09 mg/kg) > (0.12 - 0.23 mg/kg) for Pb. The concentration of Cd, Cu and Co in ginger samples were below the limit of detection. The results revealed that ginger has the ability to accumulate relatively higher amounts of K and Mg among the determined essential metals. The soil samples have been found to be acidic pH, sandy clay loam in texture, a very low electrical conductivity and moderate level of (CEC, organic carbon, available phosphorus and total nitrogen). Although, a positive correlation between the levels of K, Mg, Zn, Mn in ginger and soil samples were observed. All the non-essential metals analyzed in this study were below the permissible ranges set by FAO/WHO.
Highlights
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a herbaceous tropical perennial belonging to the family Zingiberaceae
A 0.5 g ginger sample was digested using a mixture of 4 ml HNO3 and 1.5 ml HClO4 at 210 ̊C for 150 minutes, and a 0.5 g soil sample was digested employing a mixture of 6 ml aqua-regia and 1 ml H2O2 at 280 ̊C for 150 minutes
The results revealed that ginger has the ability to accumulate relatively higher amounts of K and Mg among the determined essential metals
Summary
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a herbaceous tropical perennial belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. Ginger is homegrown to tropical India, South East Asia, Australia, and Japan, with the main center of diversity in Indo-Malaysia [3]. The cultivation of ginger was started in Ethiopia, during the 13th century when Arabs introduced it from India to East Africa [4]. It’s the second most generally cultivated spice in Ethiopia, next to chilies. It’s limited mostly within the wetter regions of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPRS) and a few parts of western Oromia [5]. Large-scale commercial production of ginger by farmers in SNNPRS is practiced especially in Boloso Bombe, at Wolaita Zone [6]
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