SAPID COMPONENTS IN CARROT

SUMMARY: The relationship between various substances present in carrot to its taste was studied. Nucleic acid derivatives found in hot water extracts of carrot were adenine, adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, 5′‐AMP, 5′‐UMP, UDP, but 5′‐IMP and 5′‐GMP were absent. The contents of these derivatives were extremely small. Silica gel chromatography showed the presence of small quantities of succinic acid, α‐ketoglutaric acid, lactic acid, pyroglutamic acid, citric acid and glycolic acid. Amino acids in hot water extracts of carrot were detected by two‐dimensional thinlayer chromatography and automatic amino acid analyzer. Identified were glutamic acid, valine, leucine, aspartic acid, lysine, and serine etc. Glutamic acid content was relatively large. Sucrose, maltose and glucose were detected in carrot and these carbohydrates were responsible for the sweetness of carrot. The taste of carrot was due mainly to the presence of glutamic acid and the buffer action of various amino acids. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved