Abstract
The principal objective of this study was to determine the available components in different varieties of Discorea spp. The Discorea spp. samples were divided into three groups by variety. The three groups were divided into Jangma(D. batatas Decaisne), Danma(D. japonica Decaisne), and Doonggunma(D. opposita Thumb), and then assessed with regard to the content of proximate compositions, minerals, sugars, crude saponin, and diosgenin. No substantial differences were noted to exist among samples in terms of carbohydrate and crude protein contents. The crude lipid contents were detected in the following order : Danma(D. japonica Decaisne, $0.71{\pm}0.15%$) > Jangma(D. batatas Decaisne, $0.65{\pm}10.12%$) > Doonggunma (D. opposita Thumb, $0.49{\pm}0.10%$). The Danma(D. japonica Decaisne) samples were determined to harbor the highest K($2.07{\pm}0.91%$), Ca($0.21{\pm}0.12%$), Fe($110.7{\pm}0.0$ mg/kg), Mn($20.6{\pm}3.4$ mg/kg) and Zn($31.2{\pm}3.9$ mg/kg) contents among all tested samples. The predominant sugar components in all samples were mannose($70.7{\pm}1.3{\sim}80.5{\pm}1.5%$), glucose($18.2{\pm}1.2{\sim}28.3{\pm}2.5%$) and sucrose($60.3{\pm}3.7{\sim}83.6{\pm}6.5%$). The crude saponin and diosgenin contents for Jangma(D. batatas Decaisne), Danma(D. japonica Decaisne) and Doonggunma(D. opposita Thumb) varieties were : $1.7{\pm}0.4%$, $3.9{\pm}0.8%$ and $3.2{\pm}0.7%$, and $13.59{\pm}1.74$ mg/g, $14.25{\pm}1.60$ mg/g and $18.00{\pm}1.92$ mg/g, respectively.