Browsing by Author "Demissie Feleke"
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Item Study of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgari Mill) Fruits for Major and Trace Elements Cultivated in Ethiopia(Addis Ababa Universty, 2010-07) Demissie Feleke; Chandravanshi B.S. (Professor)Levels of selected metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Co, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb) were determined in fennel fruit and the soil from which it was grown. The samples were collected from the Addis Ababa and Gojam area (Northern Ethiopia). Oven dried fennel fruit was grinded and 0.5 g portion of the sample was digested by wet digestion method using 2.5 mL of HNO3 and HClO4 in quick-fit round bottom flasks (100 mL) fitted with reflux condenser by using Kjeldahl micro hot plate apparatus. Similar procedure was followed for soil digestion using 2 mL HNO3 (69-72%), 4 mL 36% and 1.5 mL of H2O2 (36%). The levels of the above elements were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The highest concentration of Fe (28,000 μg/g) and Ca (23,000 μg/g) were obtained from the soil and fennel fruit, respectively. Moderate concentrations of Mg (3,400 μg/g and 3,300 μg/g) were obtained from the fruit and the soil, respectively. The level of Cd was lowest (1.91 μg/g and 2.86 μg/g) in the fruit and the soil, respectively. The concentration of Pb was below the methoddetection limit. Key words: Fennel fruit, Foeniculum vulgari Mill, Major elements, Trace elements, Flame atomic absorption spectrometer.