Effect of boiling on the carbohydrate constituents of some non-leafy vegetables

Losses which occur in the carbohydrate constituents of three non-leafy vegetables—onion (Allium cepa, L.), okra (Hibiscus esculentus, L.) and eggplant (Solanum incanum, L.)—when boiled have been determined. Ethanol-soluble sugars, which comprised glucose, fructose and sucrose, and oligosaccharides in the raw samples ranged from 4.9% in okra to 54.9% in onion but were reduced to 0.5% and 8.9% on boiling. Starch content was 2.6% and 9.5% in raw okra and eggplant, respectively but corresponding values in processed samples were 1.3% and 8.6%. Losses in watersoluble polysaccharides ranged from 72.4% and 78.2% in okra and eggplant, respectively to 92.4% in onion. Hemicellulose values of 8.2%, 6.6% and 8.6% for okra, eggplant and onion reduced to 4.5%, 6.2% and 6.7%, respectively on boiling while losses obtained for cellulose were 9%-14.1%. For lignin there was an increase of 2% to 6.2%.