Abstract
Immature persimmons are unripe fruits that are cut off during the persimmon cultivation process and immediately discarded, amounting to an annual fruit loss of approximately 100 to 400 kg per 1000 m2. The purpose of this study was to make effective use of unused resources, namely, immature persimmons, and attempt to use them as food additives. In this study, we studied the Tone Wase (fully astringent persimmon) and Fuyu (fully sweet persimmon) cultivars. As a result, we performed a component analysis of the immature persimmons, isolating 12 compounds, of which two were newly identified. Differences in the components and their contents were found between cultivars and between the peel and flesh. To effectively use immature persimmons as food for the elderly, we searched for active substances that inhibit AGE formation and found that extracts of immature persimmons and isolated compounds showed high activity. In particular, high activity was observed for catechin and its polymeric form, procyanidin. Regarding the inhibition of aroma deterioration, 5 mg/L of gallic acid in octadecane was found to be the optimal condition for the inhibition of citral deterioration. As for antimicrobial activity, we found that extracts at a concentration of 500 mg/L had no antimicrobial effect. Based on these findings, we made a microencapsulation process, and plan to advance to the clinical trial study in future. These findings confirmed the effectiveness of immature persimmons, which are an unused resource, and reveal their potential as a food for the elderly and as a food additive in other food products, which we hope will lead to new industrial innovations.
Highlights
We investigated the optimal alkane and the inhibitory effect of citral deterioration caused by thinned persimmons in an emulsified form
To effectively use immature persimmons as food for the elderly, we searched for active substances that inhibit AGE formation and found that extracts of immature persimmons and isolated compounds showed high activity
High activity was observed for catechin and its polymeric form, procyanidin
Summary
The scientific name of the oriental persimmon (hereinafter referred to as “persimmon”). Is Diospyros kaki, and it is classified as a deciduous tree belonging to the family Ebenaceae of the genus Diospyros. The persimmon originates from northern China and is said to have been introduced to Japan during the Nara period, which took place over the years. The astringency of the peels of persimmon is caused by tannin, which is a condensation product of (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin, and their galloyl compounds. Acetaldehyde is generated within the flesh of the fruit and forms cross-links with the water-soluble tannin to form polymers, making the tannin insoluble and reducing the persimmon’s astringency [1].
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