Abstract
Nutrients play an essential role in many metabolic processes whose deficiency or excess can be harmful to the plant itself and through the food chain to both animals and humans. Medicinal plants used in the food and pharmaceutical industries can be contaminated with increased concentrations of heavy metals. The plant species Seseli rigidum and Seseli pallasii from the Balkan Peninsula are used in traditional medicine and spices in the diet, so it was necessary to determine the mineral composition to ensure their safe application. In this work, the mineral composition was determined in medicinal species of the genus Seseli using inductively coupled plasma with optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Two multivariate statistic methods -principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were applied to distinguish samples regarding their mineral composition. The mineral composition of both studied species is following the literature data. The results obtained using multivariate statistics methods agree and distinguish certain parts of the tested plants based on the highest content of micro, macro, or trace elements.
Highlights
Almost all metals present in nature can be found in plants
The barium content in the plants of the genus Seseli is in the lower concentration range than in the previous research of herbs from Serbia, Turkey, Spain,[16] Africa, and Asia, as well as in the leaf of Mentha piperitae from Poland.[14,16,17,18,19]
Based on the obtained results for S. pallasii and S. rigidum, it is evident that the content of the copper is in average concentrations, which is in line with previous studies of medicinal plants.[16,17, 19,20,21]
Summary
Almost all metals present in nature can be found in plants. They affect the life processes, anatomical and morphological structure, chemical composition, yield, and prevalence of certain plant species. The determination of their content and action mechanism has become an area of particular interest and priority in different areas. This classification does not reflect their importance in plant metabolism; only their role is different. Microelements act catalytically at low concentrations and are strictly specific.[3,4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
