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A team of Scientists led by Prof. H. Nandakumar Sarma, Department of
Physics, Manipur University, Imphal has started the major and trace
element analysis in some medicinal plants of Manipur using Prorton Induced
X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Proton Induced f×-ray Emission (PIGE)
techniques.
The members of the team are R.K.Bhanisana Devi, N.K. Sharat,
K.Nomita Devi of Manipur University and Sanjiv Kumar of National Centre for
Characterization of Materials (CCCM), Hyderabad.
So far the presence of
major and trace elements in forty one (41) medicinal plants have been
analysed.
In the PIXE and PIGE experiments 2-3 MeV proton beams from 3MV
Tandetron accelerator facility available at Institute of Physics, Bhubaneshwar
and National Centre for Characterization of Materials, Hyderabad were
used.
The medicinal plants were irradiated by proton beams and
characteristic X-rays are detected by Si(Li) detector cooled at liquid nitrogen
temperature (-1960C).
The f×-rays produced in nuclear reaction were
also detected by high purity germanium (HPGe) detector cooled at liquid
nitrogen temperature.
The characteristic X-rays and f×-rays gives the
characteristic signature of the elements present in the medicinal plants.
The beauty of the experiment lies in the fact that in one run, the
multielemental analysis of major, minor and trace elements present is
possible.
The presence of Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr and Rb in
varying concentrations have been determined.
It is interesting to note
that some of the medicinal plants used by local physician and common
people have high concentration in the range of ppm of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn etc.
The concentration of K and Ca are in the percentage level.
Zn is
important in wound healing and also functions as an antioxidant.
Mn is
essential for normal functioning of central nervous system and is a good
anti-oxidant.
The researchers are trying to link the contents of the trace
elements and medicinal values of the plants.
This is for the first time that such an exhaustive work on elemental
content has been carried out by the group of physicists on the medicinal
plants of Manipur .
Prof. H. Nandakumar Sarma, contributed this announcement to e-pao.net
He can be contacted at [email protected]
This article was webcasted on September 07, 2005.
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