Poster presentation
168
THE CONTENT OF TOTAL AND ACID-INSOLUBLE ASH
CONTENT IN THE RESIDUES OF LICORICE ROOTS
B. B. Abduazimov
S.Yu. Yunusov Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences
Republic of Uzbekistan, 100170, Tashkent, M. Ulugbek st., 77
Biomass is mainly composed of organic and inorganic materials [1]. The main
organic compounds of biomass are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin [2]. Besides
organic matter, biomass contains various ash-forming elements such as Si, Ca, Mg, K,
Na, P, S, Cl, some Al, Fe, Mn, and traces of other elements. The ash content of the
biomass can be processed depending on the presence of minerals in the soil in which
plants grow. Minerals are consumed by plants and are found in all organs and tissues.
When the ash content is high, there is a chance that the material has been contaminated
from outside. This indicates an improper collection and storage procedure.
Total ash and acid-insoluble ash contents are important indices to illustrate the
quality and purity of herbal medicine.
Total ash includes "physiological ash" which is formed from the plant tissue itself,
and "non-physiological ash» which often results from contaminants adhering to it in
contact with soil and sand.
Acid-insoluble ash is defined as ash that is insoluble in an acid, specifically in a
dilute H
2
SO
4
solution. It is a part of the total ash that is generated by incinerating dry
test material. Ash is inorganic matter, but acid-insoluble ash consists mainly of silica.
In order to convert the residues of licorice root into value-added products, it was
necessary to determine the ash content. In accordance with the methodology for
determining the ash content specified in the Uzbek Pharmacopoeia [3], the total ash
content and the content of acid-insoluble ash in medicinal plants are determined using
the method of calcination, which requires charring the samples until a constant weight.
The procedure is very complex, laborious, and time-consuming.
The total ash content of licorice root residues was 5.09%, and the acid insoluble ash
content was 4.52%, according to quantitative analysis. About 88.8% of the ash is acid-
insoluble ash, which consists of silica. A small amount of salts of other microelements
(11.2%) can probably be explained by their displacement into a liquid during extraction
or a slight contamination of roots during the collection and storage of licorice roots.
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