É apresentado um método de determinação, num mesmo extrato de planta, de ferro, manganês e zinco na fase aquosa, e de cobre, após sua extração em solvente orgânico. Para êsse estudo usou-se um analisador automático de absorção atômica Perkin-Elmer, modêlo 4A. Somente á silica, em certas concentrações, poderá constituir problema na determinação de manganês ou ferro, na ausência de cálcio. Na extração quantitativa do cobre é necessário conservar o pH abaixo de 2, para evitar interferência de ferro.

A method was developed to determine quantitatively Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in a bulk plant extract, using flame absorption photometry. The process measures Fe, Mn and Zn directly in the aqueous solution, but a concentration of the extract with organic solvents is required for copper determination. Essentially the process consists in obtaining the plant extract through digestion of 1.000 g of the ground dry samples, with HNO3 and later with HC10(4)-H2S0(4) (7:1 v/v), then the solution is diluted to 50 ml with water. Thirty ml of this solution are transferred to a separatory funnel, where the copper is extracted by the ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate/ methyl isobutyl ketone system, and its amount determined. It is necessary to keep the pH below 2 to avoid interference of Fe on Cu determination. Mn, Fe and Zn are determined directly in the remaining 20 ml of plant extract. It has been noticed that silicon might cause some problems in the determination of Fe and Mn, in the absence of Ca. All the determinations were made in a Perkin-Elmer mod. 4A atomic absorption automatic analyser.