Nature Environment and Pollution Technology

Nilan J. Rane ¹, Vikas V. Vaidya ¹, Manjusha V. Nikale ¹, M. B. Kekare ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Chemistry, S. P.Mandali's Ramnarain Ruia College, Matunga, Mumbai-400 019, IN

Abstract

Herbal medicines are analysed for heavy metals. They are found to have higher concentration of one or more elements. Therefore, the need for limit tests of heavy metals arises for herbal medicines. There is also a need for heavymetal analysis to be an integral part of the standardization of herbalmedicines. Artocarpus lakoocha (Roxb.) is a perennial tree found in west coast from Kokan southwards to Kerala and in Tamil Nadu. It has many pharmacological activities such as antiviral, anticancer and anti HIV. Six common heavy metals Fe, Cr, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb were analysed by Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, which uses the technique of Inductively Coupled Plasma. ICP-AES is one of the analytical techniques used to determine the concentration of certain metallic ions in solution by measuring the intensity of emission of light at a particular wavelength when a solution of the substance being examined is introduced into a flame.

Keywords

Artocarpus lakoocha, Heavy Metals in Plants, Herbal Medicine, ICP-AES Technique.

Full Text