EVALUATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS: JATROPHA, ALBIZIA, AZADIRACHTA INDICA AND DATURA PLANTS

Y. Paul Raj, K. Deepa, A. Madhusudana Reddy, M. Reddeppa and Dr. T. Shobha Rani*

ABSTRACT

The importance of minerl elements in human, animal and plant nutrition has been well recognized .The most important plants, Jatrpha (JG), Jatroph (JGB), Albizia (AB), Datura (DT) and Azadirachta indica (Neem) are known for various medicinal properties and used widely for the treatment of diseases in humans. Mineral elements show separate entities from the other essential nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats in developing countries. Important elements namely V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Ba, Mo, Ca, Mg and Pb were analyzed from different parts (leaf, stem, seeds and root) of medicinal plants by ICPOES technique. The observed results were compared with the safety standards established by the World Health Organization (WHO) values. The acceptance criteria levels in most of the medicinal plants were within the limits. This data would help for deciding doses in ayurvedic drug prepared from the medicinal plants. The aim of this study is to estimate the amounts of toxic metals present in the selected medicinal plants and their parts which are traditionally used in biochemical processes.

Keywords: Jatropha glandifera (green leaf, JG), Jatrophagossipyfolia (greenish brown (JGB), Albizia (AB), Datura (DT), Azadirachta indica (Neem): Elemental composition, ICPOES.