Chemical Composition of Yacon, a New Root Crop from the Andean Highlands

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  • アンデス高地原産の新しい根菜、ヤーコンの化学組成
  • アンデス コウチ ゲンサン ノ アタラシイ コンサイ ヤーコン ノ カガク ソ

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Abstract

Yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia or P. edulis), a root crop native to the Andean Highlands, was introduced into Japan via New Zealand in 1985. the chemical compositions of yacon were determined and the following results were obtained. 1) Compared with the tubers such as potato, taro, Jerusalem artichoke, and Japanese yam, yacon has high moisture, low nitrogen, phosphorus and intermediate iron, and high calcium contents. 2) Free sugars in yacon were only fructose, glucose, and sucrose. These three sugars amounted to 29% of the total dry weight. 3) Twenty-one free nitrogenous compounds (amino acids, and amides) were detected. The nitrogen content of asparagine, glutamine, proline, proline, and arginine accounted for 87% of the nitrogen in the 21free nitrogenous compounds. Nitrogen derived from the 21 free nitrogenous compounds reached about 65% of total nitrogen. 4) The hydrolysate of the polysaccharide fraction contained nearly the same mole of glucose and fructose, suggesting that polysaccharides other than inulin should exist in yacon.

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