Investigation of Heavy Metals Content in Medicinal Plant, Sempervivum armenum Boiss. & Huet subsp. armenum (Crassulaceae) from Erzurum Turkey

In this study heavy metals such as Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb,

Cu and Cd were investigated in medicinally plants

Sempervivum armenum Boiss. and Huet subsp.

armenum as well as in the soil grown by using ICPOES. The purpose of current study was to standardize

indigenous medicinal plants for heavy metals

contamination. The plant and soil samples were

collected from their natural habitat at different

locations in 2011-2012. The whole plant materials

were found to contain all heavy metals except Pb.

Among all heavy metals Fe was found to be at the

highest level 379,716-548,626mg/kg followed by Mn

76,150-244,74mg/kg and Zn 35,315-80,150mg/kg

while the rest of metals were at low concentration in

plant parts. The obtained data were compared with

the respective values recommended by the Polish

standards. Simple correlation between heavy metal

contents was tested on a significance level of p<0,01

with IBM SPSS Statistic 20. Our findings show that

soils and plant parts were highly positive correlated.

The present study considering these plants was found

to be a reliable biomonitor for Fe, Mn, Zn in heavy

metal polluted areas. Our results suggest that this

medicinal uses should be collected from areas not

contaminated with heavy metals.

Keywords: Sempervivum, Heavy metal, Biomonitor,

Medicinal plant, Erzurum.