Comparative contents of dietary fiber, total phenolics, and minerals in persimmons and apples.
Dietary fibers, major phenolics, main minerals, and trace elements in persimmons and apples were analyzed and compared in order to choose a preferable fruit for an antiatherosclerotic diet. Fluorometry and atomic absorption spectrometry following microwave digestion were optimized for the determination of major phenolics and minerals. Total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fibers, total phenols, epicatechin, gallic and p-coumaric acids, and concentrations of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, and Mn in whole persimmons, their pulps, and peels were significantly higher than in whole apples, pulps, and peels (P < 0.01-0.0025). Conversely, the contents of Cu and Zn were higher in apples than in persimmons. In persimmons and apples all of the above components were higher in their peels than in whole fruits and pulps. The relatively high contents of dietary fibers, total and major phenolics, main minerals, and trace elements make persimmon preferable for an antiatherosclerotic diet.
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12065, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. gorin@cc.huji.ac.il
S
S
Gorinstein
Z
Z
Zachwieja
M
M
Folta
H
H
Barton
J
J
Piotrowicz
M
M
Zemser
M
M
Weisz
S
S
Trakhtenberg
O
O
Màrtín-Belloso
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis*; D019800:Phenol / Q000032:analysis*; D019685:Rosales / Q000737:chemistry*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D008903:Minerals; D014131:Trace Elements; D019800:Phenol