Difference of mineral elements in 5 cherry cultivars based on ICP-MS and multivariate statistics

In this study, using five cherry cultivars planted in the same area as materials, 27 kinds of mineral elements in cherries were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technology, and the mineral element differences of different cherry cultivars were distinguished by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and correlation analysis. The results showed that five cherry cultivars were similar in element species, but significant differences in element content. The main elements with high content were K, Mg, Ca, Na and Fe. Both PCA and PLS-DA models could distinguish cherry cultivars, and the main characteristic elements were K, Mg, Ca and Fe. There was a correlation between many elements in cherries, like Se, As, K, Sn; Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni; Ba, Al, Ca, Mn, Sr, Fe, Mo, B, Mg, Ti, Co, Zn; and those three groups of elements were positively correlated within the group. It provided a reference for product development of supplementary mineral elements according to the needs of the relevant population.