Chemical studies of some plant wastes from Ghana

Abstract The proximate composition of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron levels of the peels and trunk from banana and plantain plants and cocoa husk are reported. The samples were all characterised by high moisture content ranging from 78 g/100 g ripe plantain peel to 94 g/100 g for fresh plantain trunk. The peels and trunk of plantain and banana plants were poor sources of phosphorus and sodium but rich in iron and potassium. Plantain trunk contained 5 g of potassium per 100 g of dry sample. Because of their high potassium content the peels of banana fruit and the trunk of banana and plantain plants are recommended as additional raw materials for indigenous soap making in Ghana.