Compositional analysis of Swertia chirayita medicinal plant using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and ICP-MS.

One of the most significant medicinal plants used to treat numerous illnesses is Swertia chirayita. The present study demonstrated the compositional analysis of the Swertia chirayita (S. chirayita) plant using an emerging and non-destructive laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique. Mg, Ca, K, Fe, Sr, Cr, and Na were verified as necessary elements by the optical emission investigations, while Al, Ti, Si, Ba, Mn, and Li were non-essential. Using the Boltzmann plot technique with stark broadening parameters, plasma temperature and electron number density were calculated in the range of (10,000-12,000) K ±1000 K and (1.5-1.8) × 1017 cm-3, respectively. Finally, compositional analysis was carried out using calibration-free (CF-LIBS) analysis and results were compared with ICP-MS. It was observed that the concentration of Ca and Fe is higher than other detected elements. All the toxic elements are found to be within the safe limit. So, this medicinal plant can be used to cure a variety of diseases that arise due to the deficiency of these elements.

Green synthesis and characterization of copper nanoparticles for investigating their effect on germination and growth of wheat.

Today, different types of nanoparticles (NPs) are being synthesized and used for medical and agricultural applications. In this study, copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized using the aqueous extract of mint (Mentha longifolia L.). For the characterization of CuNPs, UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry were used. The UV-Visible absorption peak at 558 nm confirmed the formation of CuNPs. The XRD pattern confirmed the phase-centered crystalline nature of CuNPs. FTIR analysis showed the O-H, Cu-H and C-C bonds, indicating the active role of these functional groups as reducing agents of Cu ions to CuNPS. The synthesized NPs were found to have an almost spherical shape with an average size of 23 nm. When applied to wheat, a condition dependent effect of CuNPs was found. Variety 18-Elite Line 1, Elite Line 3, and 18-Elite Line 6 showed maximum germination and growth rate at 50 mg CuNPs/L, while variety 18-Elite Line 5 showed that increase at 25 mg CuNPs/L. Beyond these concentrations, the seed germination and growth of wheat declined. In conclusion, the application of CuNPs showed a beneficial effect in improving the growth of wheat at a certain concentration.