Estimation of minerals from selected weeds and herbs

Ten locally available weeds and herbs namely Cosmos caudatus, Diplazium esculentum, Kaempferia galanga, Clinacanthus nutans, Phyllanthus niruri, Piper sarmentosum, Centella asiatica, Clitoria ternatea, Ipomoea aquatica and Melastoma malabathricum were analysed in the laboratory of University Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli using AAS machine to estimate the mineral contents of the plants. Among the selected plants, Kaempferia galanga contain the highest amount of zinc (1.899 ppm) and ferum (17.43 ppm). The herbs Clinacanthus nutans contain the highest amount of calcium (498.0 ppm) and magnesium (234.0 ppm). The highest amount of manganese (13.02 ppm) was found in Melastoma malabathricum. These plants can be tested for preparing human food as cooked or fresh salad.