Vitamin B₅ and B₆ contents in fresh materials and after parboiling treatment in harvested vegetables

This study was aimed to determine the changes in vitamin B₅ and B₆ contents compared to fresh materials after parboiling treatment of the main vegetables consumed in Korea. The specificity of accuracy and precision for vitamin B₅ and B₆ analysis method were validated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The recovery rate of standard reference material (SRM) was excellent, and all analysis was under the control line based on the quality control chart for vitamin B₅ and B₆. The Z-score for vitamin B₆ in food analysis performance assessment scheme (FAPAS) proficiency test was-1.0, confirming reliability of analytical performance. The vitamin B₅ and B₆ contents in a total of 39 fresh materials and parboiled samples were analyzed. The contents of vitamin B₅ and B₆ ranged from 0.000 to 2.462 and from 0.000 to 0.127 mg·100g^-1, respectively. The highest contents of vitamin B₅ and B₆ were 2.462 mg·100g^-1 in fresh fatsia shoots (stem vegetables), and 0.127 mg·100g^-1 in fresh spinach beet (leafy vegetables), respectively. Moreover, the vitamin B₅ and B₆ contents for parboiling treatment in most vegetables were reduced or not detected. In particular, the contents of vitamin B₅ in parboiled fatsia shoots and vitamin B₆ in parboiled yellow potato and spinach beet were decreased 20-and 4-fold compared with fresh material, respectively. These results can be used as important basic data for utilization and processing of various vegetable crops, information for dietary life, management of school meals, and national health for Koreans.