Determination and comparison of metal contents in simulated body fluid medium conditions of the plant species by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS)

The importance of plants in folk medicine and scientific studies is increasing day by day. In this context, the plants pose a danger to human health when they are eaten by the public, consumed as herbal tea or used as medicinal plants especially the toxic metals in their composition. For this reason, determining the macro, micro and toxic element content in the plants is important for health. In this study; the metal contents of root and aerial parts of nine different Salvia species were determined and the chemometric evaluation of the obtained results was made. In the principal component analysis (PCA) made with 20 elements of Salvia species, it was determined that the first two principal components explained 62.60% of the variance and the first six principal components explained 92.70%. When PCA and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) results are evaluated; the parts of Salvia species root and aerial parts were determined that were not clearly separated and there was no regional grouping. In addition, Salvia species prepared as herbal tea was left to different simulated body fluid medium conditions, and the changes in metal contents were examined. It was determined that were taken up Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn metals in the simulated saliva fluid (SSF), Ni, Mn metals in the simulated gastric fluid (SGF), and Na, K metals in the simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). It was determined that Fe metal in almost all Salvia species was not taken from three simulated body fluid mediums. Thus, elements determined which were taken up in body fluid mediums.