The Determination of Mineral and Heavy Metal Contents of Echinacea Species Cultivated in Turkey

This study was carried out in the ecological conditions of Konya in 2013 and 2014 at Selcuk University Faculty of Agriculture, The Farm of Medicinal Plants. Mineral compositions (Na, K, Ca, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn Al, Cd, Co, Ni, Cr, Mo and Pb) were examined in five different species of Echinacea. The analyses of mineral compositions in Echinacea species were determined using NMKL 161 method and A Perkin-Elmer Optima 2000 inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP–OES) was used to analyze the elements to determine the mineral substances. The highest B, Ca, K, Na, P and S average contents according to the two-year mean values belonging to the herbs of Echinacea species were Echinacea purpurea var. double decker 135,029 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. double decker 31185,018 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. baby white swan 21968,858 ppm, Echinacea pallida var. pallida 104,742 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. purpurea 2490,672 ppm and Echinacea paradoxa var . paradoxa 1754,594 ppm respectively. The herbs with the highest Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Mo, Ni and Zn average contents according to the two-year mean values belonging to the herbs of Echinacea species were Echinacea purpurea var. baby white swan 432.195 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. purpurea 0.111 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 0,395 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 2,615 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. purpurea 22,535 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. baby white swan 451.350 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 46.217 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 21.366 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. purpurea 3.364 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 2.936 ppm and Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 22.218 ppm respectively. The highest B, Ca, K, Na, P and S contents according to the two-year mean values of Echinacea roots were determined as Echinacea purpurea var. double decker 102,620 ppm, Echinacea purpurea var. purpurea 38805,7 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 20656,313 ppm, Echinacea pallida var. pallida 2062,226 ppm, Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 2262,165 ppm and Echinacea paradoxa var. paradoxa 2181,838 ppm.