Abstract

ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPIC DETERMINATION AND COMPARISON OF SOME MINERAL ELEMENTS IN ULVA RIGIDA C. AG. FROM HARE ISLAND, THOOTHUKUDI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Dr. John Peter Paul, J. and Muthu Sheeba, M.

Abstract

Seaweeds are potential sources of mineral contents that might represent useful leads in the development of new pharmaceutical agents. The present study was aimed to screen the important minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Chromium and Lead using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer in Ulva rigida C.Ag. collected from Hare Island, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. The collected plant samples were air dried and digested by wet digestion method and analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The essential metals and heavy metals in the plant extracts were quantified. Results obtained in the present study showed that the aqueous extracts of Ulva rigida C.Ag. investigated contain four essential elements namely Calcium (50.3084ppm), Magnesium (31.7284ppm), Manganese (0.1008ppm) and Zinc (0.0081ppm) and two heavy metals that is Chromium (0.0142ppm) and Lead (0.2946ppm). From the present study, it is concluded that the levels of mineral elements present in Ulva rigida C.Ag. fall in the permissible range.

Keywords: Seaweed, Ulva rigida, mineral, Thoothukudi.