Metal content in medicinal plants - empirical and chemometric approach

Metal content in medicinal herbs - empirical and chemometric approach Abstract The content of metals: Cr (0.01 - 13.9 ppm), Zn (25 - 96 ppm), Fe (84 - 2240 ppm), Mn (20 - 91 ppm), Ni (0.2 -5.4 ppm), Cu (1.5 -10 ppm) and Mg (0.3 - 1.3%) was determined in dried medicinal herbs, namely folium Melissae, flos Matricariae, herba Urticae, folium Menthae piperitae, fructus Foeniculi amari, flos Tilie, herba Hyperici and herba Filipendulae ulmariae originated from the Czech Republic, Poland and France. The samples of the herbs were decomposed by microwave-assisted mineralization and the metal ions were determined by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The results were subjected to statistical analysis in order to point out metals that could serve as indicators of the country of origin of the drugs