Changes in the composition of traditional umeboshi during the production process and its development with high functional ingredients

Abstract

 Changes in salt, organic acid (citric acid: CitA and malic acid), and total polyphenol (PPH) contents in each step of the traditional umeboshi production process were investigated and clarified. Next, to develop a production method for umeboshi with low salt content and high functional ingredients, we investigated the effects of CitA addition during the pickling and/or desalination processes and shading from direct sunlight during the drying process on the amount of CitA and total PPHs, respectively. The results demonstrated that the CitA content of pickled umeboshi was highest when CitA was added in both processes, followed by additions only in the desalting and pickling processes. Multiple regression analysis of the results revealed that the CitA content in the pickled umeboshi was more than twice higher when CitA was added during the desalination process than during the pickling process. Shading during the drying process significantly inhibited the reduction of the total PPH content.