Abstract
Some light colored edible herbs such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage and welsh onion, and some green colored edible herbs such as lettuce, garland chrysanthemum, carrot leaves and radish leaves were studied with respect to changes in vitamin C contents in different parts during the growth period. The following results were obtained.
(1) During the growth, vitamin C contents in both edible herbs generally showed the highest values in the early period when growth was most active. Along with the growth, especially in the solid head of the light colored edible herbs, a marked fall in vitamin C concentration was noted, while the green colored edible herbs maintained comparatively a high level of vitamin C content even in the latter half of growth period. These are probably due to the fact that the leaves of the former vegetables play the role of strage organ and, on the contrary, the entire leaves of the latter vegetables generally consist of vegetative organs where the physiological activity is vigorous.
(2) As to the location of vitamin C in both edible herbs, they contained more vitamin C in the inner part of the core than in its outer part. On the other hand, the vitamin C content in the outer leaves without the solid head of the light colored edible herbs in the solid stage was remarkably high.
In the case of garland chrysanthemum, as development progressed, its lateral leaves showed a less vitamin C content, though the lateral leaves branching from the main stem were in a juvenile stage. They had much less vitamin C than the outer leaves of the main stem.
