Authentication of Leaves and Petioles of Piper betle L. Varieties via Elemental Composition and Multivariate Chemometric Analysis

Abstract

Piper betle L. (betel) is largely consumed for mastication, mouth freshening, and medicinal purposes throughout the world. This study reports the authentication of Piper betle L. var.; Bangla, Sanchi, Misti, Khasia, and BARI Paan 3. The samples were analyzed for Ca, P, K, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Sr, Ba, Li, Be, V, Co, Ga, Se, U, Cs, As, Cd, Tl, and Pb by inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and ICP – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Among the macro elements, the concentrations (0.12-8.37 g/kg) are largely type dependent and statistically different, except for Na (0.12-0.34 g/kg). Furthermore, the analyzed samples may be good sources of K (3.99-8.37 g/kg), Ca (1.86-2.88 g/kg), and Mg (0.51-1.91 g/kg). The trace elements were in safe limits, except for Mn and Pb. Using multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analyses (LDA), the variability indices were 85.5% and 100%, respectively. Hence, chemometrics is a promising approach for the authentication of betel varieties.

Keywords:

• Authentication
• Betel leaves and petioles
• inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
• inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)
• linear discriminant analysis (LDA)
• principal component analysis (PCA)

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the authorities of Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship Trust, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, for financing.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.