• Food Science and Preservation
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.411-416
• /
• 2005

Vitamin U(S-methylmethionin) levels were affected by cultivars, portion and storage times in Kimchi made from Korean Chinese cabbages. From this study, the outward parts contained high levels of vitamin U in two cultivars of Winter Pride and 55 days. Vitamin U levels in Kimchi during storage were increased during fermentation at $4^{\circ}C$. Leaf parts were 1.1-5.2 times higher in vitamin U levels than midribs in both cultivars. The levels of vitamin U were shown highest in outward leaf parts of 55 days cultivars. Like vitamin U, free amino acid also showed much higher levels in leaves. Levels of amino acids showed similarly changing patterns at different parts and cultivars of Korean Chinese cabbages in Kimchi. Threonine, alanine and proline appeared relatively abundant amino acids in most parts of sample. Moreover, methionine as a precursor of vitamin U has been reported that leaf parts contained the higher levels than midrib parts. But methionine was shown most core leaf parts. Methionine as a precursor of vitamin U, may not play a role in an increase of vitamin U of Korean Chinese cabbages in Kimchi.