Determination of selected heavy metal and phytochemical analysis of Thymus Vulgaris

Abstract

Heavy metals, such as lead, nickel, iron, copper, cadmium, zinc, and manganese, are the main causes of heavy metal contamination in the world. Several studies have identified phytochemicals as major chemical constituents in plants, highlighting their potential anti-disease properties. In this study, we carefully selected the plant thyme, and we used flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) to measure the concentration of heavy metals: iron, lead, nickel, manganese, copper, cadmium, and zinc. A wealth of secondary chemicals, such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, phytosterols, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds, were found in our phytochemical test results. The results showed that the concentrations of copper, zinc, and cadmium, nickel, iron, copper, all within safe limits; while lead levels exceeded the permissible limit in acid digested extract. On the other hand, the extraction of heavy metals using water extract, as per the conventional prescription, was found to be within acceptable levels, as were other metals like manganese and nickel.