Nutrient evaluation and elemental analysis of four selected medicinal plants of soon valley Khushab, Punjab, Pakistan.

To check the nutritional and mineral contents of four medicinal plants viz., Peganum hermla, Solanum nigrum, Mentha longifolia, Achryanthus aspera, which are used as medicine traditionally in Soon Valley Khushab, Pakistan. Proximate analysis of plant sample determined that protein (7.491%) and ash (22.79%) was highest in Mentha longifolia, carbohydrate (75.23%) in Peganum hermla, fats (12.595%) and moisture (6.82%) was highest in Achryanthus aspera. In comparative assessment of the various species, the results showed that Achryanthus aspera. is the most significant species having higher concentrations of fat, fibre values compared to the other species. Absorption Spectrometric method was used for the elemental analysis of essential elements such as Fe, Cd, Cu,Mn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Na in medicinal plants in different range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]