ABSTRACT:
The elemental composition of herbal remedy, Hyperichi herba, grown in different regions of Ukraine and supplied by three different producers, was studied by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of essential microelements Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn, as well as toxic metals Pb, Cd, Cr and Co were determined and compared with the available literature data. The significant difference between samples from different producers is observed for Mn, Co, and Cd. The higher the Fe content, the lower Mn and Zn concentrations are detected in individual samples. The concentration of Cu is rather stable. Cadmium is detected in samples of one producer only while in others it is below the detection limit. Relatively small concentrations of Pb are detected in all samples. Chromium is below the detection limit in all studied plants. The elemental composition of plants collected by one producer is characterised by higher Mn and Cd concentrations compared to other samples. The observed Mn enrichment correlates well with an increased content of this element in regional rivers which is virtually independent of an anthropogenic impact on the environment. The principal component analysis was used to minimise the number of variables. Three principal components composed of the concentrations of all essential and some non-essential microelements are sufficient to explain 91% of the total variance.