Microwave-assisted acid extraction of the major metal elements in herbal extracts followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS) determination

Abstract

The content of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Pb, and Zn was determined in Rosa damascena, Vitis vinifera, Crocus sativus, and Olea europaea L. herbal extracts produced in different areas in Greece. Samples were mineralized in a closed microwave system using nitric acid, and the concentration of all metals was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The herbal extracts contained As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, and Pb at concentrations below their respective limits of detection, whereas Cu, Fe, Mg, and Zn were determined in varying quantities. The proposed method is precise and accurate, thus it can be used for the determination of metals in Rosa damascena, Vitis vinifera, Crocus sativus, and Olea europaea L. herbal extracts.

Keywords:

• flame atomic absorption spectrometry
• trace elements
• metals
• microwave extraction
• dry herbal extracts

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their thanks to Dr N. Fokialakis and Dr N. Aligiannis for providing the raw materials from the Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, Greece.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.