Aa 7000

The standard protocol proposed by Moniruzzaman et al. (2014) was used for the determination of mineral ion contents in Solanaceae plants. One gram of air-dried sample was crushed and digested using Nitric Acid (HNO₃) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) in a 5:1 ratio until it became crystal clear. The clear sample was cooled and diluted with distilled water to make up to 50ml. The diluted solution was filtered using a 0.2-micron membrane filter and analysed for detection of elements using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Shimadzu AA-7000, Japan) and Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (4100 MP-AES, Agilent Technologies, USA).

Dried shoot and root samples of the three plants that were randomly selected from each treatment were ground separately, and their macro- and micronutrient concentrations were analyzed. Nitrogen and P concentrations were determined using the Kjeldahl method and ammonium molybdate blue method, respectively (Allen, 1989 ), whereas K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Mn²⁺ concentrations were measured following the methods described by Colla et al. (2008) (link) using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA7000; Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan).

Elemental Analysis was performed by ICP-AES, AAS, and complexometric titration.
ICP-AES analysis was carried out using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer Prodigy High Dispersion ICP (Teledyne Leeman Labs., Hudson, NH, USA).
Elemental analysis was carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometer AA-7000 (Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan) at 213.9 nm. The samples were pretreated with HNO3:HClO4 (6:1) to leach out zinc metal.
Complexometric titration was performed in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia (2.5.11).

The analysis of heavy metals was done using the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry method (AA-7000, Shimadzu, Japan) in the laboratories of the Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology.

In the case of P, 0.5 mL of the sample was taken and 4 mL of water Type I and 0.5 mL of ammonium molybdovanadate 1% solution were added. The sample was stirred and the absorbance was measured in a UV-Visible spectrophotometer (UV2600, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan). Quantification was based on a calibration curve, and the results were expressed in mg 100 g⁻¹ of dry weight sample.
For the analysis of macronutrients, an aliquot of 4.5 mL of sample was taken in a test tube, 0.5 mL of lanthanum 1% solution was added for determination of Ca and Mg. In the case of Na and K, 0.5 mL of lithium 1% solution was added in the same volume of sample and to eliminate interferences.
For the analysis of micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn), 5 mL of each sample was taken and no solutions were added for interferences. In the prepared samples, the absorbance was measured in an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA7000, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan). S and B content were measured directly from the solutions of each sample in an inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometer (5300 Optima DV, Perkin Elmer, Bresia, Italy). The quantification was carried out using calibration curves for each element; the results were expressed as mg 100 g⁻¹ of dry weight sample.