Studies on the Components of Naga-kombu, Laminaria longissima-III

Tasty Substances

Abstract

Following the previous paper, three tasty substances of Naga-Kombu, L. longis-sima, were determined in the base, central and top parts of the blade in order to clarify the food value in terms of palatable food stuff. Dried specimens were har-vested in June and September after two years of growth ar Kushiro, Hokkaido, and analyzed with the following results.
The contents of succinic acid and glutamic acid in Sei-kombu, mature L. longis-sima, were nearly the same as those in other tangle species. In comparison with Sei-kombu, Saomae-kombu, immature L. longissima, had higher mannitol content along with lower levels of succinic acid and glutamic acid. The ascus parts of Sei-kombu cotained more mannitol, succinic acid and glutamic acid than did the other parts. The analytical values of both general components and inorganic elements in Sei-kombu lay between the respective values for the ascus and the remaining parts.
The results indicate that the chemical composition of Sei-kombn may be due to the mixture ratio of either the ascus or fertile parts in the sample.