Research Journal of Chemical Sciences ______________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606X Vol. 4(9), 12-15, September (2014) Res. J. Chem. Sci. International Science Congress Association 12 Comparative study of some Ashes of vegetables used in the traditional Preparation of the Soap in BeninTogbe Finagnon Crépin Alexis , Wotto V. Dieudonné, Azandegbe EniCoffiandJosse Roger Gérard 2 Laboratoire of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and techniques, University of Abomey-Calavi (LCP / FAST / UAC) 01BP 2009, Cotonou, BENIN Laboratoire of Analyses Physico-chimiques of the Aquatic Circles, Faculty of Science and the techniques, University of Abomey-Calav (LAPMIA / FAST / UAC) 06 BP 2025 Cotonou, BENIN Available online at: www.isca.in, www.isca.me Received 10th August 2014, revised 22nd August 2014, accepted 4th September 2014Abstract To improve the quality of the traditional soap, the physico-chemical parameters of ashes of some vegetables (stalks of Sorghum caudatum, rachis of Elaeis guineensis Jacq ., cakes of Gossypium hirsutum, raids of Zeas mays and sheets of Musa paradisiaca) were determined. By the electronic microscopie with scanning coupled with a spectrometer dispersive of energy, elements such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Mn were characterized. The results showed that all the alkaline ashes have a content brought up in mineral elements notably there K (Gossypium hirsutum - 526500 ppm), Ca (Vitellaria paradoxa - 597700 ppm), and Mg (Vitellaria paradoxa - 153600 ppm). So, ashes of Musa paradisiaca, Vitellaria paradoxa and of Carica papaya would not thus be indicated for the preparation of a better soap considering their strong alkalinity capable of irritating the skin. Keywords: Ashes, vegetables, traditional soap, Benin.IntroductionThe rich and diversified African flora abounds in dozens thousand botanical species the interest of which for the humanity is not to be any more demonstrated. Formerly the black populations exploited it rationally. Ashes obtained various parts of vegetables allowed the traditional preparation of the soap used for the hygiene generally and in human therapy1-3. One of the main activities of income in most of the rural zones of Benin is the preparation of the soap collectively called in Fon "Koto", "Akoto" in Adja. It is the product prepared based on natural ingredients that is vegetable oil (oil of palm, Shea butter, etc.) and ashes of the vegetables from which we extracted the basic solution. Therefore, we think that the composition in minerals and trace elements of the ash thus turns out to be very important in this preparation. We can consider that 70 % of the Beninese population use the traditional soap often appreciated for its especially therapeutic properties in dermatology because of the nourishing wealth of these basic ingredients5,6. In spite of the permanent competition of industrial soaps which are better packed and more attractive, soaps made by craftsmen are always present on the market what translates all its importance. But nevertheless certain difficulties notably bound to the quality of vegetable ashes are several times recorded during its preparation. Numerous studies were realized on the antifungal and antibacterial properties of the soaps of traditional manufacture4,7 but we have to admit that few works are led with the aim of the physic-chemical characterization of the ashes and extracted washings used to prepare these traditional soaps. The general objective of the present study is to value vegetable ashes used in the preparation of the traditional soap in Benin with the aim of the improvement of the soap quality. This present work is then dedicated to the valuation of vegetable ashes used in the traditional manufacture of the soap in Benin with the aim of the improvement of its quality. The physico-chemical parameters of studied ashes were determined and compared to identify the most adequate ashes to obtain a soap of better quality. Material and Methods Preparation of the samples of ashes: The collection of the rachis of the tree Elaeis guineensis, the sheets of Musa paradisisca was made in the municipality of Porto Novo. The trunks of Carica papaya, the raids of Zea mays were collected in the municipality of Bohicon. The cakes of the seeds of Gossypium hirsutum are collected in the municipality of Banikoara then the stalks of Sorghum caudatum and the barks of Vitellaria paradoxa were collected in the municipality of Copargo. Banikoara, Bohicon Copargo and Porto Novo being from cities situated respectively in the North, in the Center, Northwest and in the Southeast of Benin, table-1. This plant material was dried during 15 days in 20°C and reduces to powder by means of a mixer. The powder is put in a porcelain melting pot beforehand cleaned with some hydrochloric acid with warmth for a half an hour then cremated in an oven NABERTHERM C290 in 500°C during 24 hours. The color varied by some got back ashes depends on the origin of the plant material. The basic solutions were prepared at the rate of 5 grams of ashes for 50 ml of distilled water. The filtrat to analyze is obtained by using a filter with paper of porosity 2µm8-10. Research Journal of Chemical Sciences ___________________________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606XVol. 4(9), 12-15, September (2014) Res. J. Chem. Sci. International Science Congress Association 13 Table-1 Used plant Materials Scientific name Surname used Parts Codes Sorghum caudatum Grasses Stalks E Gossypium hirsutum Malvaceae cakes E2 Musa paradisiaca Musaceae Raids E 3 Zea mays Grasses Sheets E 4 Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Arecacées Rachis E Vitellaria paradoxa Sapotaceae Barks E Carica papaya Caricaceae Trunk E 7 Determination of the pH of the substrata of ashes: The pH was measured by WTW pH with a probe WTW 34i calibrated with two solutions plug the guaranteed pH of which is: 4,00 and 7,00 in 25°C. For every measure, the probe is rinsed at first with some distilled water then with the washings of ashes to be analyzed. The probe is then plunged into the washings and the various parameters are read and recorded, table-2. Dosage of the mineral elements: The mineral elements were measured by means of an electron microscope with scanning coupled with a spectrometer dispersive of energy (MEB / EDS). The tool which we used within the framework of this work is the MEB / EDS with Variable Pressure MEB FEG above 40 VP Zeiss. This electron microscope with scanning is equipped with a detector of beams - X (oxford instruments) connected with a platform of micro analyzer EDS (Inca Dry Cool, without liquid Nitrogen) with the next characteristics11-15: Swelling: 12 X in 1 000 000X, Resolution: 2 nm, Variable voltage: 0.1 keV to 30 keV. The statistical analysis of the obtained data was made with the Microsoft software Excel 2007 office. Table-2 Physico-chemical Parameters of the studied samples Samples Ash (% ) pH 8,75±0,50 9,7±0,1 11,7±0,3 9,4±0,1 10,2 ±0,7 11,7±0,1 8,97±0,45 9,5±0,1 12,2±0,6 9,8±0,1 12,8±0,4 11,8±0,1 10,75±0,55 11,5±0,1 Results and Discussion The comparison of ashes of the stalks of Sorghum Caudatum, cakes of Gossypium hirsutum, raids of Zeas Mays, sheets of Musa paradisiaca, rachis of Elaeis guineensis Jacq ., barks of Vitellaria paradoxa and the trunks of Carica papaya was made by taking into account the pH, table-2 and the mineralogical composition of every sample, table-3. Table-3 Concentrations (ppm) mineral elements of analyzed vegetable ashes E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 Na - - 7300 ±125 3900 ±120 137000 ±125 - 182500±130 Mg 80100 ±120 119300±135 83000 ±125 42400 ±126 53700 ±130 153600±150 64600 ±130 K 452200 ±500 526500±500 245000 ±500 418100 ±500 184600 ±200 121000±150 207400±250 Ca 95500 ±300 134100±155 330800 ±350 24700 ±120 90600 ±350 597700±450 199700±250 P 8500 ±65 101600 ±95 30100 ±100 95100 ±200 34000 ±155 20900 ±125 84000 ±145 Al 14800 ±350 11100 ±300 27600 ±400 21800 ±250 35100 ±400 - 6400 ±350 Si 315000±1200 69100±1100 204600±1300 317700±1350 327700±1500 36100 ±950 33300 ±900 S 11200 ±400 24200 ±450 16900 ±350 20700 ±450 61800 ±650 16000 ±350 114600±1560 Fe 8200 ±90 6500 ±60 13500 ±125 9100 ±95 15600 ±125 7600 ±75 5000 ±60 Zn 2400 ±50 - 700 ±25 - 3100 ±65 1600 ±45 1400 ±50 Mn 4200 ±85 900 ±30 10500 ±250 - 4700 ±90 13900 ±300 800 ±30 Cu 3100 ±65 3700 ±65 2800 ±65 3200 ±65 - 3400 ±65 127 ±30 Ti 4700 ±95 - - - 4800±90 - - Ni - - 800 ±70 - - - - Ba - - - - - 16300 ±150 - Research Journal of Chemical Sciences ___________________________________________________________ ISSN 2231-606XVol. 4(9), 12-15, September (2014) Res. J. Chem. Sci. International Science Congress Association 14 The exam of the table-2 leads to some remarks: i. in the majority of the cases the content of ashes is brought up, equaling or exceeding the 10 % rate in five cases; ii. also, the pH of the aqueous solution of these ashes is alkaline and reached by the exceeding values 10 in ashes of Musa paradisiaca (E) (pH 11,7), Vitellaria paradoxa (E) (pH 11,8) and Carica papaya (E) (pH 11,5). We thus think that this alcalinity registered at the level of the substrata of ashes would certainly be due to the presence in high concentration of certain alkaline and alcalino-earthy elements such as the sodium, the potassium, the calcium and the magnesium in them cendres16. The analysis of the table-3 reveals that the Potassium is the element the most abounding in studied ashes (121000 ppm-526500 ppm). It is to note that seven ashes contain an interesting concentration in Potassium; the most important concentration is observed in the ash E stemming from Gossypium hirsutum with 526500 ppm and the one who contains it less is the ash E of Vitellaria paradoxa with 121000 ppm. The Calcium is relatively plentiful notably in the ash E of Vitellaria paradoxa which presents the concentration the most brought up with 597700 ppm. The Magnesium is relatively present in all the ashes; the ash E of Zea mays contains 42400 ppm and E of Vitellaria paradoxa 153600 ppm. The sodium is the least plentiful element, it is present only in four ashes the concentrations of which divide up in the following way: Econtains 7300 ppm, E 3900 ppm, E 137000 ppm and E182500 ppm. The presence in high quantity of elements such as K, Na, Ca and Mg in ashes indeed confirms their alcalinity and this is certainly due to their concentrations brought up17. In the previous studies18, it was shown that all the alkaline ashes of vegetable origin are characterized by a concentration brought up in alkaline or alcalino-earthy elements, what come to confirm then our results. We can then assert that all our ashes are alkaline because they are rich in it K, Na, Ca and Mg. Let us note that the absence or the weak concentration in Sodium of certain ashes could explain by the fact that our plant material consists of ground plants and not of navy plants which are as for them very rich in Sodium19. It is to note also that all the ashes are rich in silicon in the form of silica with a content going of 33300 ppm to 327700 ppm. The alkalinity of the substrata of analyzed ashes is major for the preparation of the traditional soap. But with a very alkaline substratum the risk of obtaining soap susceptible to irritate the skin is brought up20. According to the standards Beninese21, only soaps having a pH lower than 10 could be marketed. Ashes of Musa paradisiaca, Vitellaria paradoxa and of Carica papaya could not thus served for preparing good quality soaps. Only ashes of Sorghum caudatum, Gossypium hirsutum, Zea mays and of Elaeis guineensis would be thus adequate for the preparation of quality soaps. Besides, certain studies22-24 proved the efficiency of creams and soaps rich in manganese, zinc and copper in the treatment certain dermatosis and also confusions of it cicatrisation25, we thus think that soaps prepared with these ashes could be used to treat certain dermatosis as acne and the eczema. Conclusion The comparative study of ashes stemming from various vegetables is made. The physico-chemical parameters allowed showing that ashes of Sorghum caudatum, Gossypium hirsutum, Zea mays and of Elaeis guineensis are adequate for the preparation of traditional quality soaps. These soaps could be also used in the treatment of certain dermatosis as acne and the eczema considering their copper content, zinc and manganese. On the other hand, ashes of Musa paradisiaca, Vitellaria paradoxa and of Carica papaya are not indicated to prepare good traditional soaps. By allowing making an efficient choice of ashes, this work has so just resolved one of the major difficulties met in the preparation of the traditional soap in Benin. References 1.Adjanohoun E.J., Eymé J., Dramane K.L., Fouraste I., Lo I., Keïta A., Le Bras M., Lejoly J., Boukef K., On’okolo P., Revue de médecine et pharmacopées africaines, ACCT., 5(2)56-60 (1991) 2.Abayomi S., Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in Africa. 2nd Edition, Karthala:, Lagos, Nigeria (2010) 3.Picard H., Therapeutic use of oligo-elements. 1st Edition. Maloine, Paris (1993) 4.Amoussouga H., " Acoto " or " Black soap " studies of the properties antiseptics. Doctoral thesis: pharmacy: Bordeaux II : N°75 (1992) 5.Gaye M. 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