The study of the mineral content of leaves, stems and inflorescences of chaste-tree (vitex agnus-castus l.) And chinese chaste-tree (vitex cannabifolia sieb.)

Abstract

Six macro- and thirteen microelements have been qualitatively and quantitatively determined by the emission spectroscopy method in leaves, stems and inflorescences of Vitex agnus-castus L. and Vitex cannabifolia Sieb. It has been found that silicon, iron, aluminium and zinc are mostly cumulated in V. agni-casti leaves, while V. cannabifoliae leaves obviously collect iron. It has been also determined that nickel is mostly cumulated in V. cannabifoliae inflorescences. The minor amounts of cadmium and mercury have been found in all samples under research, their concentration was lower than the maximum permissible concentration for the plant raw material and food products. Among technogenic elements zinc and mercury have been revealed, their amount is safe for human. Slight amounts of strontium have been found in all samples. In all samples the content of inorganic elements, except Cu, was below the maximum permissible concentration for food products and the plant raw material (if there are any). The copper content was higher than the maximum permissible concentration in all samples and was 1.0-2.3 mg/100 g with the maximum permissible concentration of 0.5 mg/100 g. Thus, further investigation of this mineral content in drugs based on the plants studied and development of the appropriate normative documents for the medicinal plants mineral content are of current interest. It has been also found that V. agni-casti leaves can selectively cumulate silicon, iron and zinc, and V. cannabifoliae leaves can cumulate iron. The content of the rest elements was approximately the same in all specimens. The total number of the minerals investigated was the highest in stems of both plants. The variation coefficient was in the range of 8.3-12.9%.