Abstract
The relation between the content of 6-methoxymellein (6-MM) and the tastes of winter carrot roots harvested in the middle of February was investigated. Sensory evaluation indicated the threshold values of 6-MM for off-flavor and bitter taste were 60 and l00μg/ml, respectively. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with an ODS column was newly developed for the rapid determination of 6-MM, where the component was separated clearly from other components in the carrot extract with a mixture of 60% MeOH/H2O. Although 6-MM was detected in almost all of the carrots tested, the 6-MM content was lower than the threshold for bitterness. The observation indicated that 6-MM gave little effect on a taste of winter carrot roots freshly harvested.
