Elemental composition of Rosa L. fruits: Optimization and validation procedure of an ICP AES method

This study aimed to determine element profile of the rose species originating from Serbia. With respect to that, 52 fruit samples of six wild Rosa L. species (R. agrestis Savi, R. canina L., R. corymbifera Borkh., R. dumalis Bechst, R. myriacantha DC., and R. spinosissima L.) were assayed for element contents, after the optimization and validation of the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric (ICP AES) method. The analytical performance of axial and radial views was evaluated using the Mg(II)/Mg(I) line ratio. Robust plasma conditions were achieved at the radio frequency (RF) power of 1150 W and nebulization gas flow (NBF) rate of 0.5 L min-1. The matrix effect was below 13% and the recovery, using certified reference material (LGC7162 strawberry leaves), was between 85.7% and 109% with the exception of Fe (76.4%). Rosa fruits were found to be richer in minerals such as K (4710-9850 mg kg-1), Ca (2650-5140 mg kg-1), P (532-1610 mg kg-1), Mg (402-1000 mg kg-1), Na (11.2-39.1 mg kg-1), Mn (6.8-64 mg kg-1), Fe (9.9-30 mg kg-1), and Zn (6.03-17.5 mg kg-1). Also, the fruits were found to have a higher content of Si (15.2-51.6 mg kg-1). Regarding toxic elements, the obtained results for Pb (0.035-0.0121 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.0027-0.0492 mg kg-1) are in accordance with the maximum levels in fruits established set by the Commission Regulation. The results of the present study indicate that the investigated Rosa species contain various minerals and could contribute to the daily dietary requirements for K, Ca, Mg, P, Na, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe, as well as be used in food and the food additive industry.