DETERMINAÇÃO DE NUTRIENTES INORGÂNICOS NAS FOLHAS E RAMOS DO Croton floribundus Spreng (EUPHORBIACEAE), POR ESPECTROMETRIA DE EMISSÃO ATÔMICA SEQUENCIAL ACOPLADA AO PLASMA DE ARGÔNIO INDUZIDO (ICP-AES)

Abstract

Fourteen inorganic elements present in leaves and branches of Croton /loribundus Spreng. were determined in the different phenological seasons of the plants (4) to look at chernistiy characterization and to evaluate the potential as a source of minerais for primate's diet (Alouatta /usca Geof.). The samples were collected in Pedra Grande site, in Parque Estadual da Cantareira, São Paulo city and submitted to the acid wet digestion (HNO3 and H20² at 30% v/v) cõnducted by microwave radiation. The inorganic elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometiy (ICP-AES). Among the macronutrients finding higher proportion of Ca (0.69 to 1.15 g.100t¹ ) and K (1.15 to 2.06 g.100g^-1 ) in the leaves and Ca (O 58 to 1.45 g.100t¹ ) and K (0.99 to 1.65 g.100t¹ ) in the branches, respectively. For the micronutrients, the species studied accumulated Fe in the leaves and the Ba in the branches and the Mn in both samples were present concentration range for the macronutrients (0.01 to 0.21 g.100t ). For the elements Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni, concentration range from l to 30 µg.g^-1 in the leaves and branches, independently of the sampling period and of the tree studied. The results showed that the leaves are source of minerais for the howler monkey's diet.