Analysis of essential elements in Ethiopian finger millets (eeleusine coracanda) by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA)

摘要

The objective of this study was to determine essential elements in white, black and mixed species of Ethiopian finger millets using neutron activation analysis (NAA). The samples were collected from the local market of Bahirdar city, in Northwest Ethiopia. After the samples were dried, milled, heat sealed in a polythene sheet and put in a vial, they were irradiated in the irradiation channels of the Nigeria research reactor. The activities of the samples were measured using HPGe gamma spectrometry and analyzed by Winspan 2004 software. A total of 16 elements (Ca, Mg, K, Cl, V, Al, Ba, Na, Mn Fe, Zn, La, Sc, Sm, Br and Rb) were analyzed in three of the samples. According to the analyzed data Ca, Mg and K as macronutrients were found in range of 592 ± 21 ppm to 4876 ± 36 ppm, elements Fe, Al, and Cl as micronutrient were obtained in the range of 156 ± 18 to 775 ± 42 ppm with all others elements measured in traces. The results, therefore, showed that black and mixed finger millets are significantly enriched in essential elements. In addition, finger millets have also medicinal properties for controlling diabetes, blood pressure, anemia, stomach cancer and Alzheimer because they contained in pharmacological elements: Mg, Fe, Zn, V and Mn.