Determination of trace elemental content

To determine the 13 trace elements content in the 11 medicinal plants namely A. veera, C. longa, C. grandis, M. oleifera, B. monosperma, A. paniculata, C. serratum, P. pinnata, A. scholaris, Hemidesmus indicus, and A. muricata traditionally used for curing various skin diseases. EDXRF-spectrometer was used to determine trace elemental concentration present in selected medicinal plants. EX-3600 spectrometer is one of the most powerful nondestructive, multi-elemental, excellent sensitivity and low detection limits for large atomic numbers. The studies revealed that thirteen micro and trace elements, namely P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Se, Zn, Br, Rb and Sr detected in ppm level were presented in varying concentrations in the selected medicinal plants with a high and notable concentration of S, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn and an appreciable amount of Cu and Se in all the medicinal plants. The results of the present study support the therapeutic usage of these medicinal plants in the traditional practices for curing various skin diseases since they are found to contain an appreciable amount of the Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Se.