Essential trace elements in the African spider plant (Cleome gynandra). A case study in Molo Ward, Nakuru, Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, cases of malnutrition and nutritionally related ailments have been on the rise. This calls for the search for food crops with vital trace elements. The aim of the current study was to use energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) to determine the concentrations of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn in the stems and leaves of the African spider plant (Cleome gynandra) in the context of nutrition. Stems and leaves of the African spider plant grown in the highland and in the lowland of Molo Ward, Nakuru, Kenya, were found to contain total available Zn in the range of 140 ± 50 to 230 ± 60 mg/kg, Fe in the range of 2200 ± 700 to 3900 ± 1700 mg/kg, Cu at 13 ± 3 to 16 ± 5 mg/kg, and Mn at 380 ± 120 to 400 ± 140 mg/kg. There was no significant difference in the average concentrations of the trace elements in the leaves and stems of the African spider plant from the lowland and highland regions of Molo Ward (p > 0.05). The concentrations of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn in the African spider plants is high enough to make it a nutritious traditional vegetable. Therefore, farmers should be encouraged and empowered to grow more vegetables.

The State of Critical and Strategic Metals Recovery and the Role of Nuclear Techniques in the Separation Technologies Development: Review

“…The intensity of the signal produced due to the incoming photon is then measured by a silicon drift detector with high counts and good resolution. The amplitude of the pulse is proportional to the energy of the acquired characteristic X-rays [76]. The multichannel analyzer stores such data based on its amplitude, which is then formatted to an X-Ray Fluorescence spectral line for qualitative and quantitative analysis.…”