Elemental Composition of Vegetable Salts from Ash of Four Common Plants Species from Chad

In Central Africa and particularly in Chad, salt prepared by burning parts of plants is consumed for therapeutic reasons. The aim of this study was the determination of elemental composition of these salts and the toxicity if any. Four salts were prepared from ash obtained by burning stems of maize (Zea mays), stems of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), false trunks of pawpaw (Carica papaya) and whole parts of Hygrophila auriculata. The elemental analysis shows that all the four salts are potassium rich and sodium poor. Maize and sorghum salts present mainly potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium sulfate (K2SO4), whereas salts from pawpaw and Hygrophila are composed of three potassium forms: potassium chloride (KCl), potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and potassium sulfate (K2SO4). All the salts did not contain heavy metals. These salts can be used as dietetic salts and substitute of the industrial salt which contains mostly sodium chloride.