Villagers in some parts of India use the water extract of the ash obtained by burning banana plant as a substitute of soda. Which one of the following is the major active component in the extract ?

Villagers in various parts of India and Africa use the water extract of banana plant ash as a traditional substitute for soda (alkali). Banana plants, particularly the peels and pseudo-stems, are exceptionally rich in potassium [t1, t5, t7]. When the plant material is burned, the organic matter is oxidized, and the potassium reacts with carbon dioxide produced during combustion to form potassium carbonate (K2CO3) [t1]. This substance is commonly known as 'potash' [t7]. The water extract of this ash is highly alkaline and contains potassium carbonate as its major active component, which serves as a leavening agent in cooking or as a caustic agent in soap making [t3, t7, t8]. While other minerals like calcium and magnesium are present in the ash, they often form insoluble oxides or carbonates, whereas potassium carbonate is highly soluble in water, making it the primary active ingredient in the filtrate [t1, t10].

Sources

1. [1] https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/84875157.pdf