• Culinary science and hospitality research
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.100-112
• /
• 2014

This study investigates the characteristics of cookies added with yacon. The addition of yacon powder did not affect the density of the cookies and decreased pH level. The moisture content was the highest in the cookies with 12% of yacon. Spread ratio was the highest in the cookies containing yacon powder. The loss rate and leavening rate of the cookies decreased with increasing amounts of yacon powder. Lightness and yellowness decreased significantly while redness increased significantly with a high content of yacon powder in the formulation. The hardness of the control group was higher than that of the cookies prepared with different levels of yacon powder. The antioxidant activity was estimated by DPPH free radical scavenging activity and the total phenolic acid content in yacon powder and cookies. The consumer acceptability score for the 6% yacon cookie group ranked significantly higher than the other groups in overall preference, appearance, flavor, taste and color. Through this experiment, this study exhibited both the functional and health based benefits of yacon when it is added to cookies and confirmed the development feasibility of yacon cookies considering consumer satisfaction.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.9-18
• /
• 2013

The aim of this study is to provide the basic data for yacon [Samallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. & Endl.) H. Robinson] in dietary food. The nutritional compositons, such as protein, ash, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamin and fructooligosaccharide, were analyzed for 4 yacon germplasm lines. Yacon has low calories with only 46~56 kcal/100 g. The contents of water, fat, ash, protein, carbohydrate and dietary fiber were ranged 85.9~86.8%, 0.1~0.2%, 0.2~0.3%, 0.5~0.7%, 12.2~13.1% and 1.05~1.14%, respectively. The iodine-starch test did not show any color or precipitation reaction, which indicates that yacon has no starch content. However, in the absence of starch, yacon is rich in fluctooligosaccharide, which is between 9.6~11.1%. Maltose is present in the larger amount, followed by sucrose, glucose, and fructose in terms of free sugars. The analysis of minerals revealed that yacon contains potassium in the larger amount of 141~176 mg/100 g F.W., followed by magnesium at 8.2~10.6 mg, calcium, and sodium representing the least present mineral. Yacon proved to have a total of 17 types of amino acids, which are between 404.0~581.8 mg per 100 g of yacon. Glutamic acid, the main sweetening component, is present in the large amount of 94.0~182.2 mg/100 g F.W., followed by aspartic acid, arginine, and alanine. The proportion of the essential amino acid was 24.8~33.6%. Results of analysis also showed that yacon contains 0.001~0.024 mg, 0.03~0.11 mg, 0.02~0.3 mg, 0.3~0.4 mg and 14.1~20.6 mg of ${\beta}$-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid, respectively. It is also likely to be highly used as functional food material in the future because it is abundant in both fluctooligosaccharide and antioxidants which are important functional components.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.759-765
• /
• 2012

This study was performed to investigate improvements in diabetes mellitus by extracts of yacon in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Fifty rats were divided into a normal group and four experimental groups. STZ (45 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to induce type I diabetes in the four experimental groups. Yacon extracts were administered for 5 weeks. Forty-five ICR mice were also divided into one positive control group and four experimental groups for the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after fed yacon extract. The control group did not eat any yacon extracts, while Group 1 (GI) was fed 125 mg/kg of yacon extracts, Group 2 (GII) was fed 250 mg/kg of yacon extracts, and Group 3 (GIII) was fed 500 mg/kg of yacon extracts. After treatment for 5 weeks, blood glucose in GIII group showed decreased tendency at the 5 week. In OGTT by glucose, the glucose level of yacon treatment group in diabetic rats was significantly decreased compared to the glucose level of the control group, but there was no difference in OGTT by maltose. In ICR mice, the glucose level of the experimental group in OGTT by maltose was significantly decreased compared to the control group. The area of the islets of Langerhans was increased by yacon treatment in a dose-dependent manner on diabetic rats. Insulin concentration of the GIII group was also decreased compared to the control group, while the concentration of fructosamine, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in serum showed no difference. OGTT by glucose or maltose in ICR mice or diabetic rats, area of the Islets of Langerhans, and insulin concentration improved. Yacon treatment may be a useful therapeutic and preventive strategy for diabetes mellitus.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.62 no.2
• /
• pp.149-155
• /
• 2017

To establish cultivation areas for the stable production of yacon, this study investigated the productivity and functional component contents of yacon in eight regions of Korea from 2011 to 2013. The results of principal component analysis using these data were as follows. A survey of 16 agricultural traits and meteorological data in the eight yacon cultivation areas showed that five factors (average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, frost-free days, and fructooligosaccharide content) were highly significant at the p < 0.001 level. Among the 16 agricultural traits and meteorological data used in the main component analysis of yacon cultivation areas, approximately eight contributed to the first principal component, and approximately four contributed to each of the second and third principal components. In particular, factors related to productivity, fructooligosaccharide content, and temperature change were considered important criteria for the classification of cultivation areas. The cultivation areas were divided into three groups by principal component analysis. In Group I, containing the Jinbu and Bonghwa areas in the mid-highland region at 500-560 m above sea level, the product yield was the highest at 2,622-3,196 kg/10a, the fructooligosaccharide content was also the highest at 9.04-9.62%, and the mean temperature was $17.3-18.5^{\circ}C$. In Group II, the areas Suncheon, Okcheon, Yeoju, and Gangneung, at 20-180 m above sea level, had the lowest yield, relatively lower fructooligosaccharide content, and the highest temperature. The areas in Group III showed values intermediate between those of Group I and Group II. For the different yacon cultivation areas, the product quantity and fructooligosaccharide content differed according to the environmental temperature, and the temperature conditions and number of frost-free days are considered important indicators for cultivation sites. Therefore, in terms of producing yacon with high quality, cultivation at 500-560 m is considered to give a higher yield and functional fructooligosaccharide content.