Pak. J. Bot., 40(6): 2493-2502, 2008. NUTRITIONAL AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSES OF SOME SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE FAMILY POLYGONACEAE ISHFAQ HAMEED, GHULAM DASTAGIR AND FARRUKH HUSSAIN Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan Abstract Proximate composition of proteins, crude fibers, fats & oils, moistures, ash contents and carbohydrates and different elements like C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, P, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Fe and Br in some medicinal plants viz., Rumex hastatus, Rumex dentatus, Rumex nepalensis, Rheum australe, Persicaria maculosa and Polygonum plebejum of the family Polygonaceae is presented. Introduction The nutrients essential for life are proteins, fat and carbohydrates, all contribute to caloric content of the dietary, minerals including trace elements, vitamins and water. Numerous studies including same in man have demonstrated clearly that life may be sustained by nutrient mixtures in which every component is definable chemically and soluble in water (Underwood, 1994). The quality and quantity of protein in the seed are basic factors important in the selection of plants for nutritive value, systematic classification and plant improvement programs (Siddique, 1998). Most of the countries of the world are facing malnutrition problems. The deficiency of protein in human food and animal feed is well recognized. The need of the good quality of proteins has been increasing due to rapid growth of population. It has been reported that in Pakistan the protein gap would continue to increase unless well-planned measures are adopted to tackle the situation. It is therefore imperative to increase protein production by utilizing all the available ways and means. In addition to increase in conventional production, much work has been done in recent years in developing new chemical and biological methods for the production of protein foods and feeds (Shah & Khalil, 1988). When the deficiency is prevented or cured, some 20 or 30 trace elements which do not meet these exacting requirements occur more or less constantly in highly variable concentration in living tissues. They include Al, Sb, Hg, Cd, Ge, V, Si, Rb, Ag, Au, Pb, Bi, Ti and others. Such elements are believed to be acquired by the animal body as environmental contaminants and to reflect the contact of the organism with its environment (Goodwin & Mercer, 1998). In recognition of the important role that major and trace elements play in health and disease of human body, in the building up and restoration phenomenon, it was observed that during the last 20 years remarkable progress has occurred in this area of health sciences. Elements research has definitely been part of this explosion of scientific knowledge (Said et al. 1996). Impressive developments in the field of mineral elements have taken place in the chemical, biochemical and immunological areas of research. Deficiency of trace elements in human subjects can occur under the most practical dietary conditions and in many diseased statuses. In recent years, scientists and nutritionalists have started believing in the therapeutic role of metals in human health (Udayakumar & Begum, 2004).