Abstract
Kombu is a kind of tangle or soup material in Japan. Free amino acids by an amino acid analyzer and total arsenic by HG-AAS method and the speciation analysis of arsenic by HPLC/ICP-MS method were analyzed in Kombu extract prepared under various extraction conditions.
It was found that about 90% of free amino acids and 40-70% of total arsenic in Kombu were eluted into the soup. Free amino acids increased by prolonged soaking or heating, particular by soaking time. It was confirmed that most of the total arsenic contained were as nontoxic or less toxic organic compounds such as arsenosugar in Kombu and in the soup.
Soaking and boiling increased the total arsenic in the soup, though in particular, the latter had a much greater influence, and the elution mechanism of arsenic was different from that of free amino acids.
