Elemental Profile of Achillea millefolium L. from Wild Populations in Albania

Achillea millefolium L. is a medicinal plant widely harvested for traditional and official use across the Balkan region, yet its elemental composition and safety profile remain uncharacterized for Albanian localities. This study evaluated the concentrations of macro elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and microelements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd) in the aerial parts of A. millefolium collected from five regions of Albania (Kukësi, Kruja, Përmeti, Korça, and Pogradeci). Plant material was subjected to microwave-assisted acid digestion and elemental concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS 800D, Analytic Jena). The dominant macroelement order K > Ca > N > P > Mg was consistent across all five regions. Potassium ranged from 26.78 to 32.17 g/kg dry weight, calcium from 21.19 to 29.70 g/kg, nitrogen from 4.53 to 9.65 g/kg, phosphorus from 5.34 to 9.32 g/kg, and magnesium from 5.40 to 9.89 g/kg. Among microelements, iron ranged from 15.43 to 67.35 mg/kg, zinc from 53.57 to 60.50 mg/kg, and manganese from 25.74 to 92.99 mg/kg. Cadmium concentrations ranged from 0.020 mg/kg in Kukësi to 0.497 mg/kg in Pogradeci. In Kukësi, Kruja and Përmeti, cadmium concentrations were below the WHO maximum permissible limit of 0.3 mg/kg for raw medicinal plant material, while those from Korça and Pogradeci exceeded this limit. These results indicate that geographic origin plays a significant role in the elemental composition and safety profile of wild-harvested A. millefolium in Albania.