CONCENTRATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION OF NONMETALS IN MEDICINAL HERBS - A PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF THE DATA

Investigation on recognition of the content of non-metals - nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine and iodine in selected herbs was done. 5 0 raw materials originating from 25 medicinal plant species collected in 1986-92 were analysed. The content of nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorin e and iodine, after previous digestion, was determined spectrophotomet rically. Sulphur was determined turbidimetrically using BaCl2 as a tur bidic agent. It was established, that analysed material contained abou t several mu g of iodine per gram of dry plant tissue, from several hu ndred mu g to several mg of sulphur and phosphorus per gram of dry pla nt tissue, and from several to some tens of mg of nitrogen and chlorin e per gram of dry plant tissue. Por chemometric evaluation of the data , the principal component analysis was applied. Three-dimensional disp lay of the studied raw materials obtained after calculations indicates some rules about distribution of non-metals in particular plant speci es and also makes possible determination of relations, in which these elements occur in investigated herbs.