The Effect Of Soil Additives On The Level Of Vitamin A In Piper Betel
School Name
Dutch Fork High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Botany
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Many women and children in Cambodia are dying prematurely due to a vitamin A deficiency within their diet; this is known because of the prevalence of night-blindness which is a common symptom. Piper Betel is a plant that is commonly eaten is southeast Asia and all parts of the plant are eaten. If various substances containing high levels of vitamin A are added to the soil of Piper Betel then the level of vitamin A within the Piper Betel will increase. The materials needed for this experiment are nine Piper Betel plants, nine potting containers, heat lamps, syringes, mortar and pestle, oysters, carrots, and a fluorometer. The nine Piper Betel plants will be kept in three groups of three with one being the control. Each of the other two groups will either receive five grams of oysters or carrots every three days along with the same amount of water. As the plants mature the level of Vitamin A will be tested using a fluorometer by taking five grams of the leaves from a plant and crushing that sample using a mortal and pestle and combining it with liquid from the plant, this substance will then be put into the fluorometer for a measurement of the amount of light reflected off of the proteins within the vitamin A.
Recommended Citation
Murphy, Meghan, "The Effect Of Soil Additives On The Level Of Vitamin A In Piper Betel" (2016). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 185.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2016/all/185
Location
Kinard 115
Start Date
4-16-2016 11:45 AM
The Effect Of Soil Additives On The Level Of Vitamin A In Piper Betel
Kinard 115
Many women and children in Cambodia are dying prematurely due to a vitamin A deficiency within their diet; this is known because of the prevalence of night-blindness which is a common symptom. Piper Betel is a plant that is commonly eaten is southeast Asia and all parts of the plant are eaten. If various substances containing high levels of vitamin A are added to the soil of Piper Betel then the level of vitamin A within the Piper Betel will increase. The materials needed for this experiment are nine Piper Betel plants, nine potting containers, heat lamps, syringes, mortar and pestle, oysters, carrots, and a fluorometer. The nine Piper Betel plants will be kept in three groups of three with one being the control. Each of the other two groups will either receive five grams of oysters or carrots every three days along with the same amount of water. As the plants mature the level of Vitamin A will be tested using a fluorometer by taking five grams of the leaves from a plant and crushing that sample using a mortal and pestle and combining it with liquid from the plant, this substance will then be put into the fluorometer for a measurement of the amount of light reflected off of the proteins within the vitamin A.
