Abstract

The present paper aims to highlight the chemical characteristics of solutions from cooked maize and to compare them with solutions from cooked beans. Solutions from cooked maize were produced by cooking variety of Zea mays L. with water. After this stage, samples of those solutions and samples of the water used for the cooking process were collected for laboratory analysis. Solutions from cooked maize are rich in mineral salts, particularly major macro elements (N and K) and minor macro elements (Ca, S, Mg). Concerning the third major macro element, notably the phosphorous, it is present in low amounts. The advantage of this fluid consists in its low electric conductivity. This fluid has a pH of 6.15. It is made of about 92% of water. A deep parallelism can be drawn between the end-of cooking solutions of beans and solutions from cooked maize. In fact, these two fluids are rich in nitrogen and potassium, and mainly made of water. But, in detail, some particularities are present. The end-of cooking solutions of maize have higher amounts of sodium and chlorides, this joined with a higher electric conductivity. Concerning solutions from cooked beans, they have higher amounts of the different macro elements, and a lower electric conductivity. The recycling of endof cooking solutions of maize must gainfully become for the nutritionists a favorable target for the future, and this due to the numerous nutrients contained. However, its agri use is directly topical according to the results obtained in the case of the present studies. Using it as manure requires an earthing-up directly after its application in other to avoid the loose of sulfur and nitrogen through gas emanation. Consuming solutions form cooked maize as herbal tea could be an excellent way to recycle the nutrients that have diffused from the seeds during the cooking process.