Minerals and heavy metals in the fruits of wild myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) on the island of Korčula

Mirta je tipična samonikla voćna vrsta široko rasprostranjena u mediteranskom području. U Hrvatskoj do sada nema objavljenih rezultata istraživanja na temu mineralnog sastava mirte. Također je ova vrsta vrlo malo proučavana, stoga je cilj ovog rada bio utvrditi sadržaj minerala i teških metala u plodovima samonikle mirte (Myrtus communis L.). Plodovi mirte uzeti su iz samoniklih populacija, sa pet različitih lokacija na otoku Korčuli. Uzorci su sušeni do konstantne mase, te homogenizirani ručno u tarioniku do praškastog uzorka. Elementni sastav određivao se ICP-MS tehnikom, a pred obrada uzoraka vršila se u jedinici za mikrovalnu digestiju. U svim uzorcima određivao se sadržaj slijedećih elemenata: Be, V, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sn, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Ag. Udio suhe tvari u ispitivanim plodovima mirte kretao se od 26,45 % do 47,21 %. Rezultati analize pokazali su kako su plodovi samonikle mirte bogati makroelementima kalijem i kalcijem, a za mikroelemente najveći udjeli dobiveni su za Fe, Zn i Mn. Od teških metala u većem udjelu pronađeni su Sn i Cr. Na temelju statističke obrade rezultata može se zaključiti kako se udio Ca, Mg, Na, Mo, Ni, Sr, i Ba u plodovima mirte između istraživanih lokacija statistički razlikovao (P < 0,05).Myrtle is a wild fruit species widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. To date, no research results on the mineral composition of myrtle have been published in Croatia. This species has also been studied very little, so the aim of this study was to determine the content of minerals and heavy metals in the fruits of wild myrtle (Myrtus communis L.). Myrtle fruits were collected from wild populations, at five different locations on the island of Korčula. The samples were dehydrated to a constant weight and then manually ground with a mortar pestle until a homogenized powder was obtained. The elemental composition was determined by ICP-MS technique, and the samples were pretreated by microwave-assisted digestion. The content of the following elements was determined in all samples: Be, V, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sn, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Ag. The content of dry matter in the studied myrtle fruits ranged from 26.45% to 47.21%. The results of the analysis showed that the fruits of wild myrtle are rich in the macroelements potassium and calcium, and among the microelements, the highest proportions were found for Fe, Zn and Mn. Among the heavy metals, Sn and Cr were found in a great proportion. From the statistical analysis of the results, it can be concluded that the amount of Ca, Mg, Na, Mo, Ni, Sr and Ba in myrtle fruits was statistically different among the studies sites (P