Studies on Calcium in the Edible Konnyaku

Nagayama Sumiko, Nakamura Atsuko, Suzuki Kazumasa, Innami Satoshi

doi:10.5264/eiyogakuzashi.33.265

“Konnyaku” is one of the traditional foods peculiar to Japan. It is a gel-like food presenting a light taste in the mouth and has an elastic texture; it is made by adding slaked lime into the colloidal solution of flour obtained from the dried tubers of Amorphophallus Konjac K. Koch. In the present paper, in order to obtain some information concerning whether calcium in “Konnyaku” could be utilized effectively by human beings, elution of calcium from “Konnyaku-gel” to various solutions was studied under the conditions of incubation for 2 hours at 37°C and heating for 10min. The results obtained are as follows. 1) The elution rate of “Konnyaku” calcium to 0.1N HCl solution was very high as compared with water. 2) Although the elution rate of calcium to artificial stomach solution was lower than the same concentration of hydrochloric acid solution, an increase in calcium elution was observed by slicing “Konnyaku” to small pieces. 3) The elution rate of “Konnyaku” calcium to 1% NaCl solution was not so high, but fairly higher rates were seen in soya-sauce and Oden (Japanese style dish containing “Konnyaku”) juice than NaCl solution. However, the elution rate of calcium to edible “Su” (fermented vinegar) was as high as the rate to HCl solution. 4) Although it depends on the calcium content in “Konnyaku” remaining after cooking, the authors suggest that there is a great possibility for utilization of calcium in “Konnyaku” by humans.

Studies on Calcium in the Edible Konnyaku

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