Advances in Pharmaceutical and Ethnomedicines

Short Communication
Adv. pharm. ethnomed. 2 (1): 10 - 13
http://dx.doi.org/10.14737/journal.ape/2.1.10.13
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Farzana Chowdhary, Allah Bukhsh*, Sadia Chaman, Muhammad Naeem
Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
*Corresponding author: abukhsh@uvas.edu.pk

ABSTRACT
Importance of trace elements has been documented over many years in human health and disease cure. A number of pharmaceutical formulations are commercially available containing combinations of different trace elements. The importance of herbal medicines in the health care system of the larger section of the world’s population, the developing countries, is also an undeniable fact. In this study Twenty indigenous medicinal plants belonging to eight families, which are used in the traditional system of medicine (Unani) practiced in Pakistan, were investigated and analyzed by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometery as a potential natural sources of zinc. Calculated on the basis of gm dry plant sample, zinc concentrations ranged between 0.0005 mg/gm to 0.0317 mg/gm. Maximum concentrations of zinc were present in the washed and unwashed seeds of Argeria speciosa of family Convolvulaceae (0.0317mg/gm & 0.0310mg/gm), whereas minimum concentration of zinc was present in Butea Monosperma of family Leguminoseae (0.0057mg/gm).

Key Words: Indigenous medicinal plants, Zinc, Atomic absorption spectrophotometry, Trace elements