Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the content of essential elements in medicinal plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Five different medical plants (mahareeb (Cymbopogon schoenanthus), sheeh (Artemisia vulgaris), harjal (Cynanchum argel delile), nabipoot (Equisetum arvense), and cafmariam (Vitex agnus-castus)) were collected from Madina city in the KSA. Five elements Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Se were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fe levels were the highest and Se levels were the lowest in all plants. The range levels of all elements in all plants were as follows: Fe 193.4-1757.9, Mn 23.6-143.7, Zn 15.4-32.7, Se 0.13-0.92, and Cu 11.3-21.8 µg/g. Intakes of essential elements from the medical plants in infusion were calculated: Fe 4.6-13.4, Mn 6.7-123.2, Zn 7.0-42.7, Se 0.14-1.5, and Cu 1.5-5.0 µg/dose. The calculated intakes of essential elements for all plants did not exceed the daily intake set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These medicinal plants may be useful sources of essential elements, which are vital for health.