Elemental Characterization of Medicinal Plants of the Sundarban: Health risk assessments and multivariate statistical analysis

Abstract

Abstract This study evaluates essential and toxic element contents in widely used three medicinal plants (Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia officinalis, and Xylocarpus mekongensis) of Sundarban mangrove ecosystem and the possible health-risks through the consumption of these plants. Total concentrations of 20 chemical elements (Al, As, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Fe, K, La, Mn, Na, Pb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Th, V, and Zn) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) techniques. The determined concentrations of the elements were compared with available WHO permissible limits which indicate that the average concentration of Zn in A. ilicifolius (41.2 ± 10.1 mg/kg) was higher than that of the maximum permissible WHO limit (27 mg/kg). The average concentrations of Cr in A. ilicifolius (3.35 ± 0.37 mg/kg) and in X. mekongens (4.02 ± 2.30 mg/kg) were also higher than that of the WHO maximum permissible limit (2 mg/kg). The average daily intake (ADI) of the chemical elements was below the recommended daily allowance (RDA) values. Moreover, target hazard quotient (THQ) values were within the permissible limit (THQ < 1). However, the measured target carcinogenic risk (TCR) values of Cr for A. ilicifolius and X. mekongens were higher than the permissible limit (1.0 × 10− 4). The elemental transfer factors for the medicinal plants were determined and multivariate statistical analyses were used to clarify the elemental correlations in the plants. Therefore, this study will give valuable information to the public about the elemental contents and health risks due to consumption of the medicinal plants.