Determination of Trace Elements in Potentilla anserina L.by Microwave Digestion-ICP-AES

Samples of Potentilla anserina L.root from different growing areas were analyzed by microwave digestion-inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry(ICP-AES) for contents of many trace elements including Ni,Mn,Ti,Cu,B,Ba,Fe,Zn,Na,Ca,Mg and K.A mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide was used for microwave digestion of samples.Results showed that the method exhibited a spike recovery range of 96.6% to 113%,with RSDs of less than 5%.Under optimized experimental conditions,a simultaneous determination of various trace elements was achieved without any interference among them.The sample from Qinghai province contained higher contents of trace elements than that from Gansu province.This indicates that trace element content in Potentilla anserina L.root is closely linked to chemotype.Our findings will provide useful evidences for the better exploration and utilization of Potentilla anserina L..