Phenolic Compounds in Sweet Potatoes and Their Antioxidative Activity

The phenolic compounds of Korean sweet potatoes, Mokpo 18 and Yulmi, were extracted by using 70%-methanol and the extracts(ME) were fractionated and obtained three fractions such as free phenolic acid(FPAF), soluble phenolic acid ester(SPAF) and insoluble bound phenolic acid(BPAF) fractions. The antioxidative activities(AA) was represented as the peroxide values(POVs). The POVs were calculated by measuring the oxidation of linoleic acid and lard emulsions at . AA of FPAF has shown the most effective. AA of FPAF were more effective than those of ME in both Yulmi and Mokpo 18. AA of the ME of Mokpo 18 were more effective than those of Yulmi, however, those of FPAF in Ulmi were more effective than in Mokpo 18. The POVs of ME and FPAF of the peel part in both sweet potatoes were more effective than those of peeled part. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the phenolic compounds in both sweet-potatoes were performed by using high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and the major phenolic compounds were identified as chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. The contents of caffeic acid were 0.684mg/g in the peel part and 0.028mg/g in the peeled part of Yulmi and 0.472mg/g in the peel part and 0.046mg/g in the peeled part of Mokpo 18 and those of chlorogenic acid was 0.674mg/g, 0.926mg/g, and 0.012mg/g, respectively. In comparative test of antioxidative activities between a standard chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, AA of caffeic acid were more effective than those of chlorogenic acid.