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The leaves of Salvia officinalis and rhizomes of Zingiber officinalis, traditional Algerian medicinal plants, were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mass fractions of Fe (940, 1176 µg/g), Mn (LLD, 0.716 mg/g), Na (0.58, 0.28 mg/g), K (19, 23 mg/g), Cl (1.8, 0.59 mg/g), Zn (16.4, 55.6 µg/g) and Eu (LLD, 0.31 µg/g) were determined in Zingiber officinalis and Salvia officinalis respectively. The essential elements found in these plants may confer some of their beneficial properties, but the high level of Eu, potential toxic element found in the sage leaves, may require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied to multielemental determination of eleven medicinal plants used to cure the urinary tract diseases observed in Algeria. These plants include Androgena Citratus, Ceratonia Siliquata, Punica Granatum, Glyryrrhiza Glabra, Lausaunia Alba, Fragaria Vesca, Arbutus Unedol, Hordeum Vulgaris, Papieteria Officinalis, Zea Mays L, and Davallia Seae. Concentrations of twenty elements Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, I, Mn, Na, Mg, Rb, Sb, Se, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn have been determined by short, and long irradiation times with a thermal and epithermal flux of 1.4·1012 n·cm−2·s−1 and 1.4·1011 n·cm−2·s−1, respectively. These analyses were performed in conjunction with Compton suppression. In almost herbs studied the Co, Cr, Cu, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se and V are found to be present at trace levels, Br, Mn, and Zn at the minor level, and Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg and Na are generally at the major level. The accuracy of the measurements has been evaluated by analyzing NIST-botanical references materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]