Estimation of minerals,nitrate and nitrite contents of medicinal and aromatic plants used as spices,condiments and herbal tea

In this study, the minor and major mineral contents of 31 kinds of medicinal and aromatic plant collected from the south region of Turkey in 2004 year were established by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The samples were composed of Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P and Zn. The highest mineral concentration were measured between 57.70–2962.74 mg/kg Al, 1160.04–16452.88 mg/kg Ca, 44.83–1799.5 mg/kg Fe, 3570.73–27669.72 mg/kg K, 477.17–4313.59 mg/kg Mg, 1102.62–20912.33 mg/kg Na, 443.60–9367.80 mg/kg P and 7.18–48.36 mg/kg Zn. The highest values of Ca, K and P were established in Foeniculum vulgare (bitter fennel) (16452.88 mg/kg), Ocimum minumum (basil) (27669.72 mg/kg) and F. vulgare (bitter fennel) (9367.80 mg/kg), respectively. The heavy metal contents were determined too low in all samples.