Mineral and Heavy Metal Profiling of Different Parts of the Insulin Plant (Costus igneus) Using ICP-MS

Background

Medicinal plants and herb treatment have been emerging as a highly recommended method of disease management due to their therapeutic and nutritional properties. Costus igneus, the chosen plant, is commonly known as the Insulin plant in India, exhibiting antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective properties. So far, most research has focused on identifying bioactive compounds and their biological effects of this plant, with little attention given to elemental analysis, which is critical for both nutritional value and safety.

Objective

This study aimed to analyze the mineral and heavy metal composition of C. igneus using ICP-MS. We not only examine the presence of essential and nonessential elements but also find their distribution among different parts.

Materials and Methods

Different parts of the insulin plant, including leaves, stems, and rhizomes, were collected, shade-dried, ground, and microwave-digested before undergoing ICP-MS analysis.

Results

The maximum amounts of detected macroelements were K (1799.4 mg/100 g), Na (427.78 mg/100 g), Ca (1148.9 mg/100 g), and Mg (2131.4 mg/100 g). In contrast, maximum amounts of detected microelements were included Fe (263.00 mg/100 g), Mn (14.05 mg/100 g), Cu (2.86 mg/100 g), Zn (17.01 mg/100 g), Ni (0.67 mg/100 g), Se (0.23 mg/100 g), and Ag (0.006 mg/100 g). In addition, trace amounts of heavy metals As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and Sn were also detected.

Conclusions

Results indicate that C. igneus could be a rich dietary source of essential minerals, complementing its known antidiabetic properties. Some of the heavy metals have been detected but remained below quantification limits, suggesting safety for human consumption. These findings would encourage researchers to find the correlation between mineral content and antidiabetic activity.