Determining the elemental composition of Calotropis procera using X-ray Analytical Microscopy

Caloptropis procera (Oshar) is a desert plant that did not receive much attention from the science community. The objective of this study was to investigate the elemental composition of the different parts of the plant using an X-ray analytical microscope, to identify the elements naturally present in the plant and in the future detect the presence of any contaminants absorbed by the plants from the surrounding environment. Stalks, leaves and flowers from three Oshar plants were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Leaves were scanned to establish the elemental spatial distribution within individual leaves. Subsequently, parts of the plants were dried, crushed and pulverized, then analyzed to determine elemental concentrations. The major elements present throughout the plant were Cl, K and Ca with varied concentrations. Other elements (Mg, Si, P, Fe, Sr, Mn and Br) are present in the leaf with various low concentrations of <5%. Major, minor and trace elements present in the various plant parts were determined. The outcome of this study will be used as a pilot for further investigations pertaining to the utilization of the Oshar plant for environmental cleaning purposes. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.