title: Determination of toxic heavy metals in indigenous medicinal plants used in Rawalpindi and Islamabad cities, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  History of medicinal plants used in local healthcare systems dates back centuries as the user considers them safe from toxic effects. Present study was aimed to document the commonly used indigenous medicinal plants and to investigate the metal toxicity and impact of pollution load in most frequently used medicinal plants from study area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews and rapid appraisal approach were employed to record the ethnomedicinal information and toxic metals were analyzed through flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 21 wild medicinal plants was reported, and 7 were screened for toxic metal analysis. Oral mode of application (93%) was the chief route of herbal remedy administration, and leaves were found to be used as major plant part against different diseases. Main sources of remedies were wild herb (68%) followed by wild trees (18%), wild spiny shrubs (09%) and wild shrubs (5%). Trend of metal concentration was found as Fe>Ni>Cr>Pb>Cu>Zn>Mn>Cd. Indigenous medicinal plants of both cities posed the toxicity risk for Ni, Cu, Fe and crossed the safety limits set by WHO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medicinal plants of Rawalpindi were more toxic compared to the medicinal plants of Islamabad. Prolonged intake or over dose of these medicinal plants may lead to chronic accumulation of various elements that may cause severe hazardous effect upon human health.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, PO 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Adeel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.forename: Riffat Naseem
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Malik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002947:Cities; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy