Iron and manganese in selected herbs and herbal-fruit teas

The aim of this study was the determination iron and manganese contents in selected herbs, herbal-fruit teas and their water extracts. The samples were mineralized at temperature of 450 degrees C. The iron and manganese contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) directly from the mineralizates using SOLAAR M5 appliance produced by a US-based Thermo Elemental. The iron contents in dry herbs ranged, at average, from 97.66 to 348.65 microg/g and from 48.95 to 118.40 microg/g in herbal-fruit teas, the manganese contents from 43.25 to 604.80 microg/g in herbs and from 106.75 to 197.00 microg/g in herbal-fruit teas. The iron and manganese contents in dry herbs were comparable to results obtained by authors of the other papers. Infusions and decoctions of the examined herbsand herbal-fruit teas contain the amounts of these elements that do not harm the health and may constitute an additional source of iron and manganese for the human organism.