Determination of trace elements on some wild mushroom samples encountered from Western ghats of Karnataka

Ashok Chittaragi* and Raja Nai

Abstract

Eleven trace elements (Macro elements-Na, K, P, Ca, Mg and micro elements-Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd) in sixdifferent mushroom species were determined, using flame photometer, spectrophotometer and atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion. The mushrooms samples were collected from Western Ghats of Shimoga forest regions, Karnataka. The ranges of element concentrations for macro elements Na, K, P, Ca and Mg were 1.3±0.1-3.9±0.3,followed by 1.5±1.0-22.3±2.1, 1.4±0.1-6.4±0.5, 0.20±0.01-1.4±0.1 and 0.10±0.02-1.5±0.1 whereas micro elements such asZn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb and Cd were 42.1±3.3-65.4±5.3, 9.4±0.5-43.9±3.9, 13.9±1.2-94.3±8.1, 179±10.8-381±25.4, 7.9±0.8-12.2±1.1 and 0.11±0.01-0.68±0.04mg/kg, respectively.