title: Trace Element Studies on Tinospora cordifolia (Menispermaceae), Ocimum sanctum (Lamiaceae), Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae), and Phyllanthus niruri (Euphorbiaceae) Using PIXE.
abstract: Traditionally, Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook. F. & Thomson (Menispermaceae), Ocimum sanctum L. (Lamiaceae), Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae), and Phyllanthus niruri L. (Euphorbiaceae) are some of the commonly used medicinal plants in India for curing ailments ranging from common cold, skin diseases, and dental infections to major disorders like diabetes, hypertension, jaundice, rheumatism, etc. To understand and correlate their medicinal use, trace element studies on the aqueous extract of these medicinal plants have been carried out using particle-induced X-ray emission technique. A 2-MeV proton beam was used to identify and characterize major and minor elements namely Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, and Sr in them. Results have revealed that these elements are present in varying concentrations in the selected plants. Notable results include very high concentrations of Cl, K, and Ca in all the leaf samples, appreciable levels of Mn in all plants, high Zn content in T. cordifolia, and the aqueous extract of Moringa leaves compared to others and relative higher concentrations of Cr in all the plants.
authors: Department of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai University, Prasanthinilayam, AP, 515134, India. rgs@sssu.edu.in
authors: Ramadurai
authors: R
authors: Gowrishankar
authors: Manish
authors: M
authors: Kumar
authors: Vinay
authors: V
authors: Menon
authors: Sai Mangala
authors: SM
authors: Divi
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Saravanan
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Magudapathy
authors: B K
authors: BK
authors: Panigrahi
authors: K G M
authors: KG
authors: Nair
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Venkataramaniah
mesh_terms: D007194:India; D027845:Malus / Q000378:metabolism; D029587:Moringa / Q000378:metabolism*; D031339:Ocimum / Q000378:metabolism*; D029803:Phyllanthus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods*; D031610:Tinospora / Q000378:metabolism*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D014131:Trace Elements