Title: Heavy metals contamination in two species of medicinal plants in the Iranian market

Abstract

Global threat resulting in heavy metal contamination of medicinal plants is considered a serious concern. The quantitative evaluation of four heavy metals, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), was investigated frequently sold medicinal plants in the markets of Iran. Two medicinal plants, Mentha piperita L. and Zataria multiflora Boiss. Were selected from six different herbalists of six districts of Shiraz, Iran. The dissolution of the sample was performed by a conventional wet acid digestion method, and heavy metal levels were determined using Polarograph. Statistical Analysis was used by SPSS.21. According to the achieved results in M.piperita the levels of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu were in the range of 2.66 ± 0.76 mg/kg, 0.017 ± 0.009 mg/kg, 0.092 ± 0.069 mg/kg, and 0.237 ± 0.080 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in Z. multiflora samples were 1.46 ± 0.74 mg/kg, 0.019 ± 0.004 mg/kg, 0.11 ± 0.05 mg/kg, and 0.41 ± 0.17 mg/kg, respectively. There was a correlation between Zn with Cu in our finding (r = 0.9). Based on these results, we found that the concentration of heavy metals in these two medicinal plants was not more than the standard concentration reported for similar plants. It appears that these plants are generally safe in usual doses. The finding of this study can be used to determine standard heavy metals limits in M.piperita and Z.multiflora in future studies.