ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF MEDICINAL PLANT MATERIALS CHUVASH REPUBLIC USING X-RAY FLUORESCENCE METHOD

For the first time, an elemental analysis of eleven types of medicinal plant raw materials from forested areas of the Chuvash Republic was carried out using XRF: lingonberry leaves (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), yarrow grass (Achillea millefolium L.), nettle leaves (Urtica dioica L.), Eleutherococcus rhizomes (Eleutherococcus Maxim), wild rosemary (Rhododendron tomentosum or Ledum palustre), tansy flower (Tanacetum), peppermint leaves (Mentha piperita), string grass (Bidens), bearberry leaves (Arctostaphylos), wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and oregano herb (Origanum vulgare). 22 chemical elements have been identified (K, Ca, P, S, Cl, Cu, Zn, Sr, Si, Mn, Fe, Br, Cr, Ag, Ti, Rb, Zr, V, Pb, Cd, Hg and As) and their ratio. It was revealed that the level of macroelements (K, Ca, P, S, Cl) in the tested samples varies widely depending on the type of plant. Among macroelements, plant materials contain large amounts of K and Ca. Among microelements, Si is the leader in content, followed in decreasing order by Mn, Fe, Sr, Zn, Br and Cu. Nettle leaves have the maximum content of the considered nutrients. Toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Hg and As) were not found in the samples. The obtained data can be included in the database of the chemical composition of plants in Chuvashia.