Abstract

This study examines the effects of the Korean horticultural foods which are, by traditional wisdom, supposed to contain anti-aging substance. All twenty three kinds of plants are chosen as a sample for the experiment in which the content of three main anti-aging nutrients, -carotene, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E are respectively measured by Nilis, Colorimetric, and AOAC method. The result shows: among the samples, top six plants that contain the most -carotene content are high quality tea(Camellia sinensis), thistle(Cirsium japonicum Var.), Angelica keiskei, mulberry leaves(Morus alba l.), field horsetail(Equisetum arvensa), and carrot(Daucus carota), in order; top four for a Vitamin C contents are low quality tea, mulberry leaves, pine leaves(Pinus densiflora), and high quality tea, in order; top four for a Vitamin E contents are persimmon leaves(Diospyros mongolicum) tea, high quality tea, low quality tea, and pine leaves, in order. Drying or boiling process increases the content of -carotene and Vitamin E in high quality tea, dropwort(Oenanthe javanica), field horsetail, and wild aster(Ligularia stenocephala Marsumum et Koldzumi), while, in case of mulberry leaves, drying process lowers them. Vitamin C content strikingly decreases in heating and drying process.

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