Determination of essential elements in ayurvedic medicinal leaves by k0 standardized instrumental neutron activation analysis

Elemental concentrations of a few medicinal leaves are determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis using the single comparator (k(0)) method. Data obtained for neem leaves, collected from two different places, have been used to sec the effect of soil condition. The applicability of the method particularly for the simultaneous determination of Ca, Mg, V and Al in biological matrices has been evaluated in terms of the detection limit, precision and accuracy. The method was validated by analysing the NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM-1571) and it was found that the elemental concentrations measured in SRM-1571 are within +/-10% of the reported values.