Ripe and unripe seed of Xanthium italicum – elemental composition

Elements content in plants varies considerably, which is a consequence of various factors, such as plant species, vegetative stage, pedological characteristics of the soil and environmental conditions. The subject of this work is an investigation of the elemental composition of Xanthium italicum ripe and unripe seed collected in Temska using ICP OES. Out of the analyzed macroelements, potassium is the one with the highest concentration, and its content significantly differs in the ripe and unripe seeds. Iron showed five times higher concentration in unripe (27.7 µg/g) compared to ripe (6.2 µg/g) seed. The content of Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn also differ in the ripe and unripe stages of the analyzed seed, which indices that elemental composition is affected by the vegetative stage. Lead and arsenic content are higher than permissible limits, which might affect honey production in this region.