Heavy Metal Levels and Mineral Nutrient Status in Different Parts of Various Medicinal Plants Collected from Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey.

Medicinal plants have been used for treatment of many diseases since the ancient times with traditional knowledge being transferred from generation to generation. However, in recent years, many natural habitats have been contaminated due to increased anthropogenic activities. Plants which are exposed to heavy metal toxicity may experience several serious problems. Furthermore, the inclusion of these plants into the food chain poses a threat to human health as well. Additionally, presence of heavy metals directly effect mineral nutrition and consequently the food quality. The aim of this study herewith is to determine the heavy metal content and mineral nutrient status of some medicinal plants to have insight on their health repercussions on plants and humans. The concentrations of Al, B, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn in commonly used parts (root, rhizome, seed, resin, gall, fruit) especially for remedial purposes of 17 medicinal plants collected from Turkey were analyzed by ICP-OES. The measured values for concentrations from lowest to highest were (in mg kg-1) 30.983-368.877 for Al, 13.845-186.015 for B, 1335.699-11213.951 for Ca, 0.016-0.653 for Cd, 0.379-30.708 for Cr, 23.838-90.444 for Cu, 78.960-1228.845 for Fe, 1035.948-6393.491 for K, 83.193-2252.031 for Mg, 12.111-362.570 for Mn, 278.464-1968.775 for Na, 1.945-35.732 for Ni, 0.796-17.162 for Pb and 166.910-395.252 for Zn. Overall, heavy metal concentrations in medicinal plants collected nearby industrial regions, mining and farming sites, were found to be in slightly higher levels. This shows us that it is of crucial importance that the areas where medicinal plants are collected are clean especially by means of heavy metals for the reason that these plants can cause more harm than the benefits they may provide if they are contaminated.

Investigation of Heavy Metal Level and Mineral Nutrient Status in Widely Used Medicinal Plants' Leaves in Turkey: Insights into Health Implications.

The use of plants in treatments has been as old as humanity and it has preserved its popularity for centuries til now because of their availability, affordability and safeness. However, despite their widespread use, safety and quality issues have been major concerns in the world due to industrial- and anthropogenic-based heavy metal contamination risks. Thus, this study was attempted to analyze the heavy metal levels and mineral nutrient status of widely used medicinal plants in Turkey to have insights about their health implications on humans. The plant concentrations of B, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn were analyzed by ICP-OES in the leaves of 44 medical plants purchased from herbal markets of three different districts of Istanbul/Turkey. The measured lowest to highest concentrations were 0.065-79.749 mg kg-1 B, 921.802-12,854.410 mg kg-1 Ca, 0.020-0.558 mg kg-1 Cd, 0.015-4.978 mg kg-1 Cr, 0.042-8.489 mg kg-1 Cu, 34.356-858.446 mg kg-1 Fe, 791.323-15,569.349 mg kg-1 K, 102.236-2837.836 mg kg-1 Mg, 4.915-91.519 mg kg-1 Mn, 10.224-3213.703 mg kg-1 Na, 0.001-5.589 mg kg-1 Ni, 0.003-3.636 mg kg-1 Pb and 2.601-36.102 mg kg-1 Zn. Those levels in plants were in acceptable limits though some elements in some plants have high limits which were not harmful. Variations (above acceptable limits) in element concentrations also indicated that these plants could be contaminated with other metals and that genetic variations may influence accumulation of these elements at different contents. Overall, analyzed medicinal plants are expected not to pose any serious threat to human health.