Macro, minor and toxic elemental uptake and distribution in Hypoxis hemerocallidea, "the African Potato"-an edible medicinal plant

• Published in: Journal of environmental science and health. Part B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 271 - 280
• Main Authors: Jonnalagadda, S. B., Kindness, A., Kubayi, S., Cele, M. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01-03-2008; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: African potato; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; Consumer Product Safety; elemental distribution; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hypoxis - chemistry; Hypoxis - metabolism; Hypoxis hemerocallidea; hypoxis rooperi; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plant Roots - metabolism; Soil - analysis; Soil and water pollution; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; soil quality; Soil science; Solanum tuberosum; Species Specificity; toxic metals; Trace Elements - analysis; Trace Elements - metabolism; Africa; Ecotoxicology; Solanum tuberosum; Toxicity; Soil quality; Metal; elemental distribution; Uptake; African; Medicinal plant; African potato; Absorption; Hypoxis hemerocallidea; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; hypoxis rooperi; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; toxic metals
• DOI: 10.1080/03601230701771461
• EISSN: 1532-4109
• ISSN: 0360-1234

The elemental uptake and distribution, in various parts of the admired herbal plant, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, the 'African potato' and its ability to accumulate elements in response to the growth soil quality are investigated. The total and exchangeable concentrations of twelve elements in the growth soils and their distribution in the roots, potato bulb and leaves of the plants grown under four different settings were compared. The typical concentrations of the twelve selected elements, in the bulb and leaves of the plant grown in a nursery pot (site 2) were (in μ g g
−1
dry weight) Ca (8430 and 27075), Mg (2113 and 1566), Fe (66 and 150), Al (10 and 368), Zn (105 and 6.1), Mn (42 and 51), Cu (7.2 and 20.8), Ba (0.23 and 4.44), Co (0.20 and 0.42), As (2.05 and 24.56), Hg (0.92 and 1.82) and Cr (0.13 and 0.33). Except for Ca, Mg, Zn and Mn, the exchangeable cation concentrations in all the growth soils were low. Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn and As had bioaccumulation factors > 1. Fe, Al and Co concentrations were high in the roots with little in the rest of the plant. High concentration of arsenic (≈ 13 μ g g
−1
dry weight) with bioaccumulation factors of 7 and 20 were observed in the roots and leaves of the plant respectively (site 2), but the concentration of mercury in bulb was very low (0.92 μ g g
−1
dry weight).