Determination of mineral and trace elements in some spices cultivated in Turkey

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in monitoring trace elements and heavy metal contents in the spices and herbs. Some spices widely cultivated and consumed in Turkey were monitored as to their trace heavy metal contents including cadmium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc by ICP-AES. Samples of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) and tarragon (Artemisia dracanculus L.) were subjected to chemical analyses. Cadmium was not detectable in any samples of poppy seeds. Linseed contained the highest amount of cadmium (128 mu g/kg) in all plant samples while fenugreek contained the lowest (7 mu g/kg). The concentration of copper in the samples varied from 6 to 17 mg/kg with the highest value was in tarragon. Content of iron ranged from 29 mg/kg in poppy seeds to 129 mg/kg in cumin seeds. The tarragon sample was found to be the richest (42 mg/kg) in the manganese content whereas the lowest manganese level was detected in the fenugreek (8 mg/kg). Zinc concentrations of the plant samples ranged between 11 and 28 mg/kg with linseed containing the highest. The results of the present study revealed that trace metal contents of some selected spices plants commonly cultivated in Turkey were within the low range.