Determination of trace elements and functional groups analysis of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet with energy dispersive X-ray and FT-IR Spectroscopy

 

Servin Wesley P.¹, Chitra Devi B.²*, Sahaya Shibu B.¹, Sarmad Moin¹

¹Department of Biotechnology, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, India

²Department of Botany, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: chitrasaraswathy@gmail.com

 

The present study was carried out to explore the therapeutic potential of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet (Malvaceae). The trace elements were determined using Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and functional groups analysis with FT-IR spectroscopy technique. The ethyl acetate extract of the aerial parts reveals the presence of alkyl, carbonyl, aromatic and cyclic alcohol groups. The weight percentage of trace element concentration obtained from energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) attached to SEM shows the presence of oxygen, magnesium, silicon, phosphate, chloride and potassium. These findings strongly establish the medicinal potential of A. hirtum.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Medicinal plants continue to be an important source of life-saving drugs for humankind. The World Health Organisation has estimated that more than 80% of the world population in developing countries depend primarily on herbal medicine for basic health care.¹ The increasing realization of the health hazards and toxicity associated with the indiscriminate use of synthetic drugs and antibiotics has renewed the interest in the use of plants and plant-based drugs. Subsequent global inclination toward herbal medicine has advanced the expansion of plant-based pharmaceutical industries.² Therefore, scientific studies of medicinal plants are required to judge their efficacy.^3,4 Many medicinal herbs and their mixtures contain toxic elements such as Pb, Cd, Al, Hg and Cr, which are hazardous to humans depending on their oxidation state and concentration.^5,6,7 Such elements are acquired by the plants due to environmental contaminants.⁸ Hence reliable techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier Transform infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopy are employed in analysing the trace elements and functional groups present in the medicinal plants.⁹

 

 

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis (EDS) is a powerful tool in characterization of trace elements.¹⁰ The main objective of the present study is to identify the various chemical groups present in Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet (Malvaceae) using FTIR and EDS analytical techniques.

              

Abutilon hirtum is a medicinally important and economically useful plant used in treating pain, ulcers, cough, toothache, abscesses, bladder inflammations and diarrhoea. It possesses antipyretic, demulcent, diuretic and hepatoprotective properties. Alkaloids are reported from the roots of the plant.^11-17 The seeds yield oil. They contain 16-20% crude protein and 2.6% calcium.¹⁸ In our previous report on A. hirtum, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power)activity was maximum in ethyl acetate extract, which was positively co-related with the presence of total phenol and flavonoid content.¹⁹ Therefore, in the present study, ethyl acetate extract was selected.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant materials:

The plant material was collected from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It was identified and authenticated (BSI/SRC/5/23/2011-12/Tech-1861) by the Botanical Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, Coimbatore. 

 

Preparation of the extracts:

The aerial parts of the plant were shade dried (28º C), chopped into small pieces and ground into powder. 72 g of dried plant powder was extracted with 350 ml of ethyl acetate in a shaker at room temperature. The crude extract was filtered and dried using vacuum evaporator and stored in a refrigerator at 4° C.

 

FT-IR spectrum analysis:

FT-IR spectra were recorded using Shimadzu FT-IR Spectrometer 8000 series in the region 4000–400 cm^–1 by employing standard KBr pellet technique. The spectra were recorded at the Instrument Facility Lab, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy:

The ethyl acetate extract obtained from the plant material was subjected to Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) to analyse the trace elements present, where SiO₂, MgO, GaP, KCl and MAD-10 Feldspar are used as standards.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

FT-IR spectrum analysis:

The FTIR spectrum of ethyl acetate extract of A. hirtum displays lots of structural information on major constituents through peaks of various functional groups. The broad peak at 3396.64 cm^-1 corresponds to the intermolecular H bonds. Stronger peaks observed at 2927.94 cm^-1 and 2866.22 cm^-1 correspond to the CH₂ and C-CH₃ respectively, the later shows the presence of alkyl group. Non-conjugated C=O vibrations assigned to the stronger peak observed at 1724.36 cm^-1 is a characteristic peak of carbonyl group. C=C linkage occurred at 1624.06 cm^-1 may be due to the aromatic group present in it. Broad peak observed at 1051.20 cm^-1 assigned to C-OH stretching vibrations are due to the presence of secondary cyclic alcohols. However the FT-IR spectrum performed in the complete range of 400-4000 cm^-1 reveals the presence of alkyl, carbonyl, aromatic and cyclic alcohol groups in the plant extract.

Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy:

Trace elements are estimated by determining the percentage abundance (%) of elements namely O, Mg, Si, P, Cl, and K in the sample. The elemental analysis of ethyl acetate extract of A. hirtum shows the presence of oxygen, magnesium, silicon, phosphate, chloride and potassium. The concentrations of such elements are reported in Table 1 and Figure 2 which clearly shows that oxygen and potassium are found in major concentrations in this plant. It is a known fact that potassium plays a prominent role in contraction of cardiac fibre muscle. It is essential for the synthesis of some proteins and acts as an enzymic cofactor.⁴ Chloride is the third major element present with 6.21 % which is quite near to the percentage of chloride present in leaf of Eclipta alba.²⁰ Mg, P, and Si were detected in low quantities. Lower levels of Magnesium are required for the conversion of blood glucose into energy.²¹ Toxic heavy metals such as Cd, As, Pb and Hg were not detected in the plant sample.

 

CONCLUSION:

The results obtained in the present study justify the use of A. hirtum in traditional medicine. The knowledge of the elemental composition establishes the plant to be safe for human consumption. The presence of characteristic functional groups is responsible for the various medicinal properties associated with this plant which provides a starting point for discovering new compounds. The findings of this research establish A. hirtum to be a potentially therapeutic plant. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The authors thank Karpagam University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India for providing necessary facilities. The authors are grateful to Dr. R. Gopalan, (Fmr. Scientist, BSI) Professor and Head, Department of Botany, Karpagam University for his valuable support.

 

 

 

Figure 1: FT-IR spectrum analysis of Abutilon hirtum ethyl acetate extract

Figure 2: Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrum of Abutilon hirtum

Table 1: Percentage abundance of trace elements present in Abutilon hirtum

Element	App. Conc.	Intensity Corrn.	Weight%	Weight % Sigma	Atomic %
O	29.08	0.7771	71.41	0.79	84.97
Mg	0.63	0.6468	1.87	0.28	1.46
Si	0.28	0.8556	0.63	0.19	0.43
P	0.70	1.2748	1.05	0.23	0.65
Cl	2.75	0.8445	6.21	0.34	3.33
K	10.31	1.0442	18.83	0.58	9.17
Total			100.00

 

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Received on 30.01.2013       Modified on 07.02.2013

Accepted on 10.02.2013      © RJPT All right reserved