Physicochemical Properties, Organic Acid, and Sugar Profiles in Edible and Inedible Parts of Parsnip (<i>Pastinaca sativa</i>) Cultivars Harvested in Korea

Abstract

Parsnip, a root vegetable from the Apiaceae family, is rich in dietary fiber, pectin, and starch but remains relatively unfamiliar in South Korea. This study investigated the physicochemical properties of two Korean-grown parsnip cultivars, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Albion’, focusing on their organic acid and sugar compositions. The ‘Warrior’ cultivar has higher firmness and water content but lower SSC compared to ‘Albion’. In ‘Warrior’, malic and lactic acids were the main organic acids, while ‘Albion’ had predominant oxalic and malic acids. Malic acid was also the primary organic acid in the inedible parts of ‘Warrior’, and oxalic acid in ‘Albion’. In the edible parts of both cultivars, sucrose was identified as the main sugar. In ‘Warrior’, the levels were 88.59%, 90.35%, and 79.13% in the cortex, pith, and skin, respectively, while in ‘Albion’, the levels were 88.56%, 64.40%, and 67.39%. ‘Warrior’ showed higher total sugar content in its cortex (6.66%) compared to ‘Albion’ (3.67%). These results highlight the beneficial compounds in parsnips and suggest their potential for improving dietary strategies and health.

Keywords

• parsnip
• color
• firmness
• organic acid
• sugar