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14STUDY OF MINERAL COMPOSITION OF APRICOT HERBAL DRUGS (ARMENIACA VULGARIS L.)
Kutsanyan A.,
Student, Pharmaceutical department, National University of Pharmacy Popova N.
Doctor Pharm. Sciences, Professor, Department of ChNC and N,
National University of Pharmacy
Abstract
Complex determination of total ash content and mineral composition of fruits, leaves, seeds, drupes, branches, bark, roots of apricot of Shalakh variety was carried out. The atomic emission spectrographs method was used to determine the mineral composition of apricot herbal drugs. The obtained experimental data show a diverse and rich mineral composition in the investigated herbal drugs.
The content of heavy metals (nickel, molybdenum, lead) in herbal drugs meets to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine requirement
Keywords: apricot, mineral substances, atomic emission spectrographic method.
Topicality. During the study of the composition of plants, great importance is attached to the research of biologically active substances, but the definition of mineral content in them is also an important and relevant issue, in view of the biological role of many macro- and microelements. Mineral content is an important environmental indicator. Its study allows to conclude about the prospects of using the herbal drugs of apricots as a source of mineral substances in the development of new drugs and dietary supplements for the treatment and prevention of various disorders of macro- and microelemental balance in the body.
The apricot belongs to the Rose (Rosaceae) family, the genus Plum (Prunus), section Apricot (Armeni-aca). Section is represented by about 10 species. Each of them has its own agricultural importance. The species A. ansu (Maxim.) is very yielded with tasteless fruit, resistant. A. dasycarpa (Ehrh). has sour fruits, which are used for processing and culinary seasoning. A. manshurica (Maxim.). has sour fruits, suitable for candied fruits, pastilles, etc. Mostly used as decorative form. Fruits of A. mume (Sieb.) are processed into pickles and marinades, seeds are used as anthelmintic. The plant is used as decorative form. A. sibirica (Lam.) is used in the confectionery industry and to produce fatty oil. The most common type is Armeniaca vulgaris (Lam.), which has more than 600 varieties. Fresh and dried fruits are used for production of canned food, jam, marmalade, etc. Seeds are used both for food and to produce edible and technical fatty oil [1, 360 p., 2, 540 p., 3, 592 p.].
An apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris Lam.) of Shalakh variety is a 5-8 (up to 17) m high tree with a trunk up to 30 cm (in some cases up to 60 cm) in diameter. Leaves are heart-shaped, ovoid or rounded, with a pointed tip. Flowers are single, large, up to 3-4 cm in diameter. Fruit is rounded drupe up to 3 cm in diameter, of different colors, with fleshy or coarse pericarp and large seed. Fruit weight is 3-18 g. Blossoms in MarchApril, the fruit ripens in June-August. Apricot is cultivated in all countries of the world with warm climate, except for equatorial ones [2, 540 p., 4, 408 p.].
The balance of macro- and microelements in medicinal plants is formed as a result of functioning of complex multiphase mechanisms of concentration and accumulation of these substances, which are influenced by various factors.
The presence of a number of minerals in the human body in strictly defined quantities is an essential condition for health preservation. Macro- and microelements are not synthesized in the body, they come with food, potable water and air. The degree of their assimilation depends on the state of respiratory and digestive organs. Minerals are vital components of nutrition with very different physiological functions. They play an important role in plastic processes, the formation and construction of body tissues, particularly skeletal bones. Minerals are necessary to maintain acid-base balance in the body, to create a certain concentration of hydrogen ions in tissues and cells, interstitial and intercellular fluids, as well as to give them osmotic properties that provide normal metabolism [9, 272].
Aim. Complex study of mineral composition of fruits, leaves, seeds, stones, branches, bark and roots of Apricot (A. vulgaris Lam.) of Shalakh (Yerevani) variety by using atomic emission spectrographic method.
Materials and methods. The objects of the study were dry crushed fruits (pulp), leaves, seeds, stones, branches, bark and roots of apricot (A. vulgaris Lam.) of Shalakh (Yerevan) variety. Herbal drugs were harvested and processing in Armenia in 2018 according to the rules of good agricultural and collecting practices (GACP) [4, 408 p., 5, 72 p.].
One of the modern and highly sensitive methods of analysis - atomic emission spectrographic - was used to determine mineral substances in samples. This method is based on evaporation of plant ashes in the arc discharge, photographic registration of radiation decomposed into the spectrum and measuring the intensity of the spectral lines of individual elements.
Preparation of the sample for analysis consisted in careful charring of plant material when heated in a muffle furnace at a temperature not exceeding 500° C with pre-treatment of samples with diluted sulfuric acid. Samples of herbal drugs were evaporated from craters
of graphite electrodes in the discharge of alternating current arc (excitation source of spectra type IBC-28) at current strength 16 A and exposure 60 sec. To obtain spectra and to record them on photographic plates we used spectrograph DFS-8 with a diffraction grating of 600 pcs/mm and a three-lens gap lighting system. Line intensity measurement in spectra of analyzed samples and graded samples (GS) was performed with microphotometer MF-1. The spectra were photographed under the following conditions: arc current strength - 16A, ignition phase - 600° C, ignition frequency of pulses -100 bits per second analytical interval - 2 mm, gap width of the spectrograph - 0.015 mm; exposure - 60 sec.
The spectra were photographed at wavelengths of 230-330 nm. Graduation diagrams were constructed using standard samples of metal salts solutions (ISORM-
23-27) in the range of measured concentrations. According to these graphs the content of each element was determined in ash and calculated by the formula:
_ aXm
■ '- - __; where, m - weight of ash, g; M -
m
weight of herbal drug, g; a - content of element in ash, %.
Results and discussion. The ash is an incombustible residue of inorganic substances obtained after burning and ignition of herbal drugs. The research was conducted according to the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine (SPhU). The results are presented in table 1 [5, 1128 p.].
Table 1
Content of ash in apricot herbal drugs
№ Sample Weight of total ash, %
1 Fruits 13,00%
2 Stones 2,05%
3 Leaves 14,04%
4 Roots 2,94%
5 Branches 3,93%
6 Bark 11,60%
7 Seeds 5,34%
Results of the mineral composition analysis of ash from apricot samples are presented in table 2. There were 15 elements found in the samples, including 5 macro- (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) and 10 microelements (Fe, Si, Al, Mn, Pb, Ni, Mo, Cu, Zn, Sr).
Table 2
Mineral composition of apricot herbal drugs
Mineral substance Content of mineral substance, mg/100g.
Fruits Stones Leaves Roots Branches Bark Seeds
Potassium 2600,00 100,00 3500,00 435,00 585,00 580,00 635,00
Sodium 80,00 6,00 25,00 35,00 58,00 46,00 5,30
Calcium 130,00 40,00 1130,00 190,00 390,00 1160,00 64,00
Magnesium 130,00 10,00 495,00 80,00 117,00 210,00 130,00
Phosphorus 26,00 1,00 49,00 100,00 78,00 11,60 90,00
Iron 13,00 2,40 21,00 35,00 25,00 64,00 3,20
Silicon 65,00 2,00 140,00 130,00 98,00 350,00 16,00
Aluminum 11,70 0,80 39,00 35,00 31,00 105,00 2,40
Copper 4,20 0,75 4,10 1,40 1,60 2,80 2,40
Zinc 15,60 2,00 11,30 5,80 5,10 17,40 6,40
Manganese 0,13 0,25 3,10 5,50 4,90 5,80 0,74
Lead <0,03 <0,03 <0,03 0,03 0,04 0,11 <0,03
Nickel 0,08 <0,03 0,08 0,09 0,04 0,09 <0,03
Molybdenum 0,13 <0,03 0,16 <0,03 <0,03 0,07 0,05
Strontium 0,52 0,16 1,30 3,80 4,30 17,40 0,27
Total: 3076,37 165,39 5419,05 1056,63 1397,99 2570,27 955,78
Heavy metal content in all samples is within normal range: Co <0.03; Cd <0.01; As <0.01; Hg <0.01
Research results show that the most minerals are found in leaves, fruits and apricot bark, then in branches, roots, seeds, and the least in stones.
All samples of apricot herbal drugs contain a minor amount of heavy metals (Mo, Pb, Ni), which can be explained by their accumulation in the process of plant ontogenesis, but they are within the norm according to SPhU [7, 732 p.].
It should be noted that leaves and fruits are rich in potassium (3500 and 2600 mg per 100 g of herbal drug). At that time, the dry fruit of banana contains
1491 mg, dry plum fruit 1397 mg, potato skins 522 mg, brown rice 427 mg. One tablet of Panangin contains 36,2 mg of potassium This confirms the relevance of the use of apricot fruit and leaves as an important source of potassium in the production of phytoprepara-tion for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases [8].
A comparison of the daily doses of some elements, their content in apricot fruits and leaves, and toxicity are presented in table 3.
Table 3
Content of mineral substances in apricot herbal drugs and their daily dose
Mineral sub- Daily dose, Content in leaves, Content in fruits, Threshold of toxicity,
stance mg mg/100 g mg/100 g mg/day
Macroelements
K 2000 3500 2600 6000
Ca 800-1500 1130 130 Non-toxic
Mg 200-400 495 130 Non-toxic
Microelements
Fe 10-20 21 13 200
Zn 10-15 15 11 600
Cu 2-3 4,1 4,1 200
Si 50-100 140 65 500
Mo 0,075-0,25 0,16 0,13 5
The table shows that 100 g of apricot leaves and fruits contain the daily norm of many elements that carry out important functions in the human body. Among macroelements potassium plays an important role in many metabolic processes, including: in the formation of cell membrane potential, regulation of water-electrolyte balance, stabilization of osmotic pressure, reduces allergy symptoms, normalizes blood pressure, regulates muscle contraction, provides thermoregulation. Calcium is involved in regulation of intracellular processes, cell membrane permeability, nerve conduction and muscle contraction, maintains stable heart activity, participates in bone formation, mineralization of teeth, blood clotting processes. Magnesium is responsible for bone formation, muscle contraction, neuromus-cular conduction, acts as an activator for many enzymatic reactions, stimulates protein formation, regulates storage and release of ATP, reduces excitation in nerve cells.
From microelements iron takes part in the transport of oxygen, energy exchange, plays an important role in the processes of energy production, in enzymatic reactions, in providing immune functions, cholesterol metabolism. Zinc is a component of insulin, a number of enzymes, participates in hematopoiesis, provides energy metabolism, synthesis of proteins, T-cells of immunity, nonspecific resistance of the body. Copper is involved in erythropoiesis, catecholamine metabolism, energy exchange, providing antioxidant protection. Silicon plays an important role as a structural element of connective tissue, affects lipid metabolism and the formation of collagen and bone tissue. Molybdenum is part of a number of enzymes (aldehyde oxidase, sulfite oxidase, xanthine oxidase, etc.) that perform important physiological functions, in particular, the regulation of uric acid metabolism. [9, 272 p.].
Results of the analysis of mineral composition show the possibility of using apricot herbal drugs in the composition of phytopreparation for the treatment and prevention of various violations of macro- and micro-elemental balance in the body, as well as many other diseases.
Conclusion.
1. For the first time by atomic emission spectro-photometry a complex determination of total ash content and mineral composition of fruits, leaves, seeds, stones, branches, bark, roots of apricot of Shalakh variety was carried out.
2. The obtained experimental data show a diverse and rich mineral composition in the investigated herbal drugs. There were determined 5 macro- (Na, K,
Ca, Mg, P) and 10 microelements (Fe, Si, Al, Mn, Pb, Ni, Mo, Cu, Zn, Sr), the content of heavy metals corresponds to SPhU.
3. The largest amount of minerals was found in leaves, fruits and bark of apricots, then in branches, roots, seeds, and the least in stones.
4. Leaves and fruits contain daily rates of many macro- and microelements (K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Si, Mo, etc.).
5. The rich mineral composition of apricot leaves and fruits of Shalakh variety makes it possible to use this herbal drug as a source of mineral substances in the creation of new phytopreparation for the treatment and prevention of pathologies of the cardiovascular system, neuromuscular apparatus, as well as to increase immune functions of the body.
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