Research Article Levels of Essential Elements in Different Medicinal Plants Determined by Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Eid I. Brima Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia Correspondence should be addressed to Eid I. Brima; ebrahim65@gmail.com Received 21 November 2017; Revised 27 January 2018; Accepted 12 February 2018; Published 20 March 2018 Academic Editor: Guido Crisponi Copyright ©2018 Eid I. Brima. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. e objective of this study was to investigate the content of essential elements in medicinal plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Five different medical plants (mahareeb (Cymbopogon schoenanthus), sheeh (Artemisia vulgaris), harjal (Cynanchum argel delile), nabipoot (Equisetum arvense), and cafmariam (Vitex agnus-castus)) were collected from Madina city in the KSA. Five elements Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Se were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fe levels were the highest and Se levels were the lowest in all plants. e range levels of all elements in all plants were as follows: Fe 193.4–1757.9, Mn 23.6–143.7, Zn 15.4–32.7, Se 0.13–0.92, and Cu 11.3–21.8 µg/g. Intakes of essential elements from the medical plants in infusion were calculated: Fe 4.6–13.4, Mn 6.7–123.2, Zn 7.0–42.7, Se 0.14–1.5, and Cu 1.5–5.0 µg/dose. e calculated intakes of essential elements for all plants did not exceed the daily intake set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). ese medicinal plants may be useful sources of essential elements, which are vital for health. 1. Introduction Medicinal plants are used by millions of people around the world. e usage of medicinal plants was mainly in primary healthcare by most of the users [1]. is study focused on some of medicinal plants used in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Based on personnel communications from users and retailers, the investigated plants are used as fol- lows: sheeh is used for the treatment of diseases related to respiratory and reproductive systems; mahareeb is used as a diuretic; harjal is used to alleviate gastrointestinal pain; cafmariam is used to regulate menstruation, and it is also used in dystocia and its soaked infusion to accelerate delivery; and nabipoot is used to ease pain associated with obstetrics. Some of micronutrients (Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Se) were the core of this study to be investigated in the abovementioned medicinal plants. Different elements are classified as macronutrients ormicronutrientsbasedontheiramountneededforhuman body. Consequently, microminerals are needed in less amount than macroelements such as K, Na, Ca, P, and Mg [2]. Copper is found in various human transcription factors and enzymes and is considered as an important essential trace element. However, excessive intake of copper can lead to liver damage and Wilson’s disease. Wilson’s disease re- sults from accumulation of free copper in the liver, brain, and kidney [3]. Deficiency of copper can have adverse health effects, including aneurysms, blood vessel damage, hernias, and nosebleeds and can also affect the movement of nu- trients through cell walls [4]. Iron is well established as an essential element and is a component of haemoglobin and is present in several human enzymes. Iron is present in high levels in red blood cells and muscle tissue. High doses of iron can cause hep- atotoxicity. Acute liver failure has been reported after an overdose of ferrous sulphate in a young adult [5]. Iron deficiency leads to anaemia, which is the most well-known nutritional deficiency disorder [6]. Manganese is an important element and is a constituent of metalloenzymes that oxidize cholesterol and fatty acids [7]. A deficiency in manganese can cause bleeding disorders, Hindawi Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry Volume 2018, Article ID 7264892, 6 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7264892