Characterisation of two South American food and medicinal plants by chemometric methods based on their multielemental composition.
BACKGROUND
The chemometric characterisation of two plants frequently used as food and medicinal species, Achyrocline satureioides and Achyrocline venosa (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae), was carried out based on their mineral composition. Both species, known by the common name of 'marcelas', are very similar in their morphological features but they have different medicinal and food properties.


OBJECTIVE
To develop multivariate models for the classification of A. satureiodes and A. venosa based on their mineral content.


METHODS
The analytic determinations were made by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry from aerial parts of the plants. An internal standard was used to evaluate the accuracy in the sample treatment and the recovery of toxic elements was studied. The multivariate methods used include principal components analysis, cluster analysis and linear discriminant analysis.


RESULTS
Classification for both A. satureioides and A. venosa was successful in all cases using only four variables: aluminium, iron, magnesium and sulphur content. The concentrations of the following elements were determined: Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, Ti, V, Y and Zn.


CONCLUSIONS
This method is useful to identify both species in raw material in order to detect eventual errors of selection.
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, La Pampa, Argentina.
Miguel A
MA
Cantarelli
Roberto G
RG
Pellerano
Luis A
LA
Del Vitto
Eduardo J
EJ
Marchevsky
José M
JM
Camiña
D036921:Achyrocline / Q000737:chemistry*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis*; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000737:chemistry*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012984:Software; D013020:South America; D014131:Trace Elements
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008903:Minerals; D014131:Trace Elements