This study evaluated the elemental composition of 25 herbal tea plants commonly used
in infusions by Portuguese consumers and the contribution to the elemental daily intake of some
essential elements. Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), Matricaria chamomilla (L.), and Melissa officinalis (L.)
samples are a rich source of K with around 6.0 mg g-1 while the Asteraceae Silybum marianum
(L.) and Echinacea angustifolia (DC.) exhibited 4.9 and 5.6 mg g-1 Ca, respectively. The highest
concentrations of S and Zn were noted in Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), while the highest concentration of
Sr was found in Cassia angustifolia (Vahl.). In general, a large variability in the concentrations among
different families and plant organs had been observed, except Cu with levels around 30 g g-1. The
principal component analysis (PCA) showed positive correlations between Zn and S and Sr and Ca,
also revealing that Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.), Echinacea angustifolia (DC.), Silybum marianum (L.), and
Cassia angustifolia (Vahl.) samples, stands out about all other samples regarding the enrichment of
macro and micronutrients. The elemental solubility of macronutrients in the infusion is greater than
the micronutrient solubility, despite the contribution to the recommended daily intake was weak.
As a whole, Cynara scolymus (L.) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (L.) are the species with the best elemental
solubilities, followed by Hydrocotyle asiatica (L.). No harmful elements, such as As and Pb, were
observed in both the raw material and the infusionsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio