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Effects of fertilisation on the allyl isothiocyanate profile of above‐ground tissues of New Zealand‐grown wasabi
Author(s) -
Sultana Tamanna,
Savage Geoffrey P,
McNeil David L,
Porter Noel G,
Martin Richard J,
Deo Bas
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.1218
Subject(s) - allyl isothiocyanate , rhizome , yield (engineering) , pungency , chemistry , horticulture , isothiocyanate , sinigrin , agronomy , brassica , glucosinolate , food science , biology , botany , organic chemistry , materials science , pepper , metallurgy
Abstract Wasabi ( Wasabia japonica (Miq) Matsum) is a developing crop in New Zealand and is valued for its spicy taste and pungent smell. It is popular as a condiment for traditional and modern Japanese foods. However, the limited area suitable for wasabi production in Japan has resulted in inability to meet increasing market demand. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are sulphur compounds responsible for the unique flavour of wasabi, with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) being the main compound responsible for the pungency. In this study, AITC tissue concentration and yield were measured in three above‐ground tissues of the wasabi plant to investigate the effects of different fertiliser, manure and lime treatments. The highest tissue concentration of AITC was found in the rhizomes, ranging from 1564 to 3366 mg kg −1 (fresh weight basis), while the petioles and leaves contained 254–373 and 453–643 mg kg −1 respectively. Fertilisation with ammonium sulphate produced the highest‐quality rhizomes (72% increase in AITC yield) and petioles (64% increase), but the best response in the leaves (51%) resulted from the manure treatment. Nitrogen fertiliser alone reduced the AITC yield by up to 15%. These results should help in formulating guidelines for production of high‐quality wasabi tops containing high levels of AITC. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry