title: Determination of free inositols and other low molecular weight carbohydrates in vegetables.
abstract: Different low molecular weight carbohydrates including saccharides, polyalcohols, sugar acids, and glycosides have been identified and quantified in different edible vegetables from Asteraceae, Amarantaceae, Amarylidaceae, Brassicaceae, Dioscoreaceae, and Solanaceae families by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Apart from glucose, fructose, and sucrose, other saccharides such as sedoheptulose in chicory, spinach, cabbage, purple yam, eggplant, radish, and oak leaf lettuce, rutinose in eggplant skin, and a glycosyl-inositol in spinach have been identified. chiro-Inositol was found in all vegetables of the Asteraceae family (3.1-32.6 mg 100 g(-1)), whereas scyllo-inositol was detected in those of purple yam, eggplant, artichoke, chicory, escarole, and endive (traces-23.2 mg 100 g(-1)). α-Galactosides, kestose, glucaric acid, and glycosyl-glycerols were also identified and quantified in some of the analyzed vegetables. Considering the bioactivity of most of these compounds, mainly chicory leaves, artichokes, lettuces, and purple yam could constitute beneficial sources for human health.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química Orgánica General (C.S.I.C.), C/Juan de la Cierva, 3 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Oswaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Aceituno
authors.forename: María Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sanz
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez-Castro
mesh_terms: D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007294:Inositol / Q000032:analysis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007294:Inositol