AVALIAÇÃO DO RISCO DE CONSUMO DE FOLHAS E SEIVA DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS DO CERRADO SUL-MATO-GROSSENSE EM RELAÇÃO À SUA COMPOSIÇÃO ELEMENTAR

Abstract

This study aimed at characterizing the elemental content from medicinal plant leaves used as antimicrobials and antiinflammatory, such as Allamanda cathartica Linn, Celosia argentea var. plumosa, Tridax procumbens Linn, Jacaranda cuspidifolia Mart, and in the sap of plants used as tonic: Dipteryx alata and Hymenaea stigonocarpaI and assessing the health hazards involved with the elemental content. In the same way, the metal transfer from soil to the plant D. alata (sap and leaves) was investigated, assessing the consumption risks from environmental contaminants through medicinal plant use. Considering the chronic elemental exposure through supplementation, all plants showed HQ > 1 for chromium in children and HI > 1. For adults, except the plant D. alata the same effect occurred, with HQ and HI values above 1, where chromium was the principal contaminant. The sap use seems safer than the supplementation, once only the sap of H. stigonocarpa exceeded HQ > 1 for copper and consequently HI >1, due to this metal concentration in adults. Although the sap of D. alata transferred a larger metal concentration than the leaves, the plant accumulated a greater heavy metal concentration in the leaves, like arsenic, chromium, and cadmium, making its ingestion a more significant hazard. Beyond that, D. alata can be used as a strategy for heavy metal contaminated soil bioremediation. Biochemical compound investigation and in vivo experiments should be carried out to collect further information regarding the safety of the consumption from the studied plants.