Heavy Metal Content Screening in Leaves and Flowers of Hypericum montbretii Spach. by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Atomic absorption spectrometry facilitates the reliable determination of mineral content during pharmaceutical quality control of medicinal plants. In the present work, measurable amounts of Fe, Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn were detected in the leaves and flowers of Hypericum montbretii Spach. through atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean heavy metal content in the flowers and leaves of H. montbretii Spach. was, in descending order, Ca > Mg > K > Mn> Na. Ca was present in higher concentrations in the leaves (10252.75 ppm) and flowers (7321.94 ppm) of titled plant. Our results reveal that flowers are less suitable as target plant parts for metal accumulation than leaves.