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MINERAL COMPOSITION OF PLANTS OF FAMILY ZYGOPHYLLACEAE AND EUPHORBIACEAE

GHULAM DASTAGIR¹^*, FARRUKH HUSSAIN¹ AND MUHAMMAD AFZAL RIZVI²

Abstract : In the present study with few exceptions, most of the minerals concentrations were higher in winter than in summer in all the investigated plants of family Zygophyllaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Calcium content in Fagonia cretica, Peganum harmala and Chrozophora tinctoria was significantly higher in winter than summer while in Tribulus terrestris and Ricinus communis it was significantly lower in winter. Potassium significantly increased in winter compared to summer in all the tested plants. Sodium in winter significantly differed in all the tested plants. Copper increased insignificantly in winter than summer in all plants. Mn  also increased in winter as compared to summer in all the plants. The Mo was less in winter in F. cretica and T. terrestris while it increased in P. harmala, C. tinctoria and R. communis during winter and all plants means showed that they were significantly different from each other. Zinc was poor in winter than summer in F. cretica, P. harmala and T. terrestris, and it increased in C. tinctoria and R. communis. Aluminum was less in winter in F. cretica, P. harmala and R. communis which increased in T. terrestris and C. tinctoria winter.

¹Pharmacognosy Lab, Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

²Hamdard Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Faculty of Eastern Medicine, Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan.

^*Corresponding author e-mail:  dastagirbotany@yahoo.com