Production of Guanylic Acid by Cooking of Tomato

Abstract

Guanylic acid enhances the umami-taste of glutamic acid. We analyzed the content of guanylic acid in tomato fruits of 11 cultivars before and after cooking. The contents were significantly higher in heated rather than non-heated fruit among all cultivars. To investigate the effect of heating on guanylic acid accumulation, we analyzed the content of guanylic acid and its degradation product, guanosine, in tomato fruits heated at temperatures between 25°C and 100°C. Based on the content of the two compounds, we speculate that the difference in quantity between the production and degradation of guanylic acid was the highest at 50-60°C, and that the maximum accumulation of guanylic acid occurred at 50-60°C.