Abstract
Medicinal plants comprise a spectrum of constituents, encompassing both organic and inorganic elements. Elemental composition of 27 species of medicinal plants of Lamiaceae (including 17 endemic) family grown in Turkey was carried out by ICP-MS. The following elements were determined in analysed samples: Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, U, Se. Quantitative analysis of specific primary and secondary metabolites was carried out. Na and K are major constituents in plants. The concentrations of Na range from 332,495.590 g/kg (in sample 10SA) to 279,690.674 g/kg (in sample 4SA), while those of K vary from 67,492.456 g/kg (in sample 15SA) to 3347.612 g/kg (in sample 1A). Some metals such as Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cs, and Ba were also detected. Flavonoids, carbohydrates and tannins were present in all sample. Saponins were found in all samples except 1C and 2O. Coumarin were detected in samples 2N, 1 T, 1O, 1Z, 3SA, 1C, 4SA, 6SA, 8SA, 1 M, 11SA, 13SA, 2O, 14SA, 1H, and 16SI. Lipids were present in samples 6S, 9S, 1A, 10S, 1 M, 11SA, 12SA, 13SA, 14SA, and 16SI. Plants contain essential, rare earth, and trace elements at mg/kg concentrations, while major elements such as K and Na are present in high levels. Toxic element As (arsenic) was detected in all analyzed plants, but in most samples, its concentration was below the threshold set by World Health Organization.