Studies on the Chemical Composition of Some Fruit Vegetables and Fruits in Korea(I) -On the Free Amino Acid and Sugar Contents in Tomato, Watermelon, Muskmelon, Peach and Plum

A survey of the free amino acids and free sugars in tomato, watermelon, muskmelon, peach and plum was made by means of amino acid autoanalyzer and thin layer chromatography. The results of the survey are summarized as follows. 1) Fifteen amino acids found in fruit were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, serine, asparagine, lysine, valine, glycine, methionine, histidine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, proline and arginine, and an unknown was found. 2) Ten kinds of amino acids were detected in tomato, peach and plum, thirteen amine acids in watermelon and muskmelon (edible part), and eleven amino acids in muskmelon (rind). 3) In general, these fruits contained similar amounts of these thirteen amino acids, and although they were not outstandingly high in any one acid they did contain a nutritionally well-balanced mixture. 4) Amino acids found in the greatest amount in fruit were following: glutamic acid and aspartic acid in tomato, asparagine and lysine in watermelon, alanine, serine and aspartic acid in musk-melon, and aspartic acid and serine in peach and plum. 5) Glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose were detected in all fruit. The contents of glucose and fructose were high, and those of sucrose and maltose were low.