Abstract
Changes in the chemical components of wild berries of Morus bombycis Koidz. and Brousonetia kazinoki Sieb. during ripening were examined. Glucose and fructose, the main sugars, in the M. bombycis berries increased steadily, with sucrose as the minor sugar. The ratio between the glucose and fructose content was found to be about unity. In the B. kazinoki berries, glucose, the predominant sugar, increased rapidly, with fructose and sucrose as the minor sugars. Concomitantly, the titratable acidity in these berries decreased, while polyphenols, predominantly composed of associated tannins, also gradually decreased. On the other hand, the levels of L- ascorbic acid and total ascorbic acid in the berries increased, although that of dehydro-L-ascorbic acid fluctuated. In the ripe berries of B. kazinoki, the presence of a higher level of L-ascorbic acid (44 mg%) and total ascorbic acid (61 mg%) was found. The results suggests that further use of B. kazinoki berries can be expected.
