Investigation of the chemical composition of the above-ground organs of lingberry

Data on the elemental composition of plant materials is important for establishing their therapeutic value in medical practice and ensuring the safety of drugs produced therefrom. This article presents the results of a study aimed at determining the elemental composition of the above-ground organs of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (lingberry) collected across the Slyudyansky district of the Irkutsk Oblast. Growing under favourable environmental conditions, this species is characterised by a high bioproductivity. The method of X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) was used to estimate the content of the following elements in leaf samples: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ti, Cu, Zn, Ba, Rb, Sr and Pb. According to the obtained data, the plant under study features such essential elements as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as such microelements as manganese and barium. The content of potentially toxic metals (Ti, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba and Pb) does not exceed the threshold levels established for land plants. A high content of vital elements and the absence of toxic effects make Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. a promising medicinal material for the prevention and treatment of microelementoses. Due to their broad-spectrum therapeutic properties, lingberry leaves are widely used in traditional medicine.