Volume 59, Issue 327, March 2023

Heavy metals contamination in some medicinal plants from Onigambari forest reserve

Adetola OO^♦, Akinyemi GO, Oyediji OT, Onafurume OM, Adekoya OO, Murtala MO

Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB 5054, Jericho Hills Ibadan, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB 5054, Jericho Hills Ibadan Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Heavy metal toxicity related to the use of traditional medicines has been reported worldwide. Heavy metals may be introduced into medicinal plant products through various anthropogenic processes such as mining, contaminated agricultural resources, etc. Poisoning from heavy metal contamination of medicinal plant products has caused countless health implications including liver and kidney failure and even death. Monitoring the content of mineral elements in medicinal plants and their extracts is of particular importance for health. This study investigates the heavy metal contents of six medicinal plants obtained from Onigambari Forest Reserve Oyo State. Using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, the heavy metals Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Mercury (Hg), Chromium (Cr) and Magnesium (Mg) were tested. Results: Pb, Cd, Hg and Cr were absent in the medicinal plants analyzed in this study. The concentrations of Zn ranged from 0.20 ppm in Khaya grandifoliola to 0.40 ppm in Khaya ivorensis and 0.30 Magnifera indicia; Cu concentration in ppm ranged from 0.015 in Khaya grandifoliola to 0.23 in Garcinia kola; while that of Mg is 0.55 ppm in Kigelia africana. This study has demonstrated that the heavy metals content of most of the Medicinal plants analyzed is below WHO/FAO permissible limits.

Keywords: Heavy Metals, Medicinal Plants, Herbal Medicine, Metallophytes

Discovery, 2023, 59, e29d1033

PDF

Published: March 2023