Investigation of mineral composition of some wild Sumac (Rhus coriaria L.)

Rhus coriaria L. (sumac) is usually a wild plant and classified in Anacardiaceae family. The fruits are used as a medicine for curing fever, diarrhea, stomachache, dermatitis disease and some other important disease like cancer, stroke, diabetes and liver disease. In this study, some Iranian wild sumac ecotypes were investigated in terms of mineral compositions. Detecting medicinal plants chemical composition is useful for phytochemical scientific source.

Mature and ripe fruits were collected and dried in laboratory condition, and then the minerals content like Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, P, K, and Zn were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

In Yahya-Abad samples, potassium, sodium, zinc, phosphorous and manganes were the most abundant minerals. The amount of calcium in Yahya-Abad samples and Firizhand samples was the highest. In Firizhand samples the amount of copper and magnesium were higher than other ecotypes and in Malmir samples, iron was significantly higher than other ecotypes. Also, results from this study indicated that all samples are significantly different from each other in terms of mineral elements. The samples from Yahya-Abad was found to contain appreciable amounts of different minerals.

Minerals are vital chemical elements for the human health and must be in the diet. These findings would be useful for food scientists and nutritionists interested in the nutritive value of plants.