Elemental and Fatty Acid Content of Four Medicinal Plants: Kaiempferia rotunda, Cuscuta reflexa, Centella asiatica and Asparagus racemosus

Aims: The present study investigates the elemental and fatty acid content of four different medicinal plants, namely Kaiempferia rotunda, Cuscuta reflexa, Centella asiatica and Asparagus racemosus, grown in Bangladesh.

Methodology: Macro (Na, K), micro (Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Cr) and heavy metal (Cd, As) elements were determined quantitatively by flame photometer and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) in the tubers of K. rotunda, the Arial parts of C. reflexa and C. asiatica, and the roots of A. racemosus. For the ascertainment of the fatty acid constituents, a gas chromatograph connected to mass spectrometer was used to analyze the methylated fatty acids.

Results: The elemental contents of the plants were determined in considerable amounts (Na: 6950-17030 ppm; K: 21460-63310 ppm; Mg: 1.95-1868.07 ppm; Mn: 0.603-26.14 ppm; Fe: 0.1028-0.4394 ppm; Cu: 0.1118-0.2117 ppm; Cd: 0.0005-0.0854 ppm; Cr: 1.844-28.91 ppm, respectively). The essential fatty acids for growth maintenance such as heneicosanoic acid (1.86-12.08%), pentadecanoic acid (0.6-40.15%), hexadecanoic acid (9.17-29.74%), heptadecanoic acid (0.73-4.42%) and octadecanoic acid (7.68-11.11%) were detected in decent amounts in all four of the plants, respectively.

Conclusion: It can be said that the investigated medicinal plants are a good source of the elements Na, K, Mg and Cr, whereas Cu, Cd and Mn are only present in trace amounts. Significant amounts of fatty acids were also detected that come with immense biological properties.