Objective:To determine the chemical constituents of the traditional vegetal salts and find out if they are safe to consume.Methods:Seven different salts have been obtained from three provinces,of which five belong to ...Objective:To determine the chemical constituents of the traditional vegetal salts and find out if they are safe to consume.Methods:Seven different salts have been obtained from three provinces,of which five belong to Morobe Province.The cations were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and anions using titrimetry,gravimetry and spectrophotometry.Others like solubility,electrical conductivity,pH,antimicrobial,Fourier transform infrared spectral and volatility studies have been carried out for these salts.Results:While few salts were found to be stable,others were deliquescent;and the colour varies from white to black through yellow and brown.It was found that the potassium ion was dominant while others including sodium and calcium were found in lower concentrations.For the first time,certain d-block metal concentrations were measured though most of them were found to be present at very low levels.Other parameters like volatility,solubility,electrical conductivity,antimicrobial and Fourier transform infrared spectral studies were carried out for the first time for these vegetal salts in Papua New Guinea.Conclusions:The salt’s deliquescence could be correlated to the presence of anions like carbonate,bicarbonate and hydroxide which strongly contribute towards it.Similarly,solubility and conductivity of the salts could be correlated well.The salts were found to be harmless for consumption,but for the high potassium content.展开更多
文摘Objective:To determine the chemical constituents of the traditional vegetal salts and find out if they are safe to consume.Methods:Seven different salts have been obtained from three provinces,of which five belong to Morobe Province.The cations were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and anions using titrimetry,gravimetry and spectrophotometry.Others like solubility,electrical conductivity,pH,antimicrobial,Fourier transform infrared spectral and volatility studies have been carried out for these salts.Results:While few salts were found to be stable,others were deliquescent;and the colour varies from white to black through yellow and brown.It was found that the potassium ion was dominant while others including sodium and calcium were found in lower concentrations.For the first time,certain d-block metal concentrations were measured though most of them were found to be present at very low levels.Other parameters like volatility,solubility,electrical conductivity,antimicrobial and Fourier transform infrared spectral studies were carried out for the first time for these vegetal salts in Papua New Guinea.Conclusions:The salt’s deliquescence could be correlated to the presence of anions like carbonate,bicarbonate and hydroxide which strongly contribute towards it.Similarly,solubility and conductivity of the salts could be correlated well.The salts were found to be harmless for consumption,but for the high potassium content.
