Dietary fibers, major phenolics, main minerals, and trace elements in persimmons and apples were analyzed and compared in order to choose a preferable fruit for an antiatherosclerotic diet. Fluorometry and atomic absorption spectrometry following microwave digestion were optimized for the determination of major phenolics and minerals. Total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fibers, total phenols, epicatechin, gallic and p-coumaric acids, and concentrations of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, and Mn in whole persimmons, their pulps, and peels were significantly higher than in whole apples, pulps, and peels (P < 0.01-0.0025). Conversely, the contents of Cu and Zn were higher in apples than in persimmons. In persimmons and apples all of the above components were higher in their peels than in whole fruits and pulps. The relatively high contents of dietary fibers, total and major phenolics, main minerals, and trace elements make persimmon preferable for an antiatherosclerotic diet.

Maize, wheat, amaranth, rice and soybean were screened for protein content. Alcoholsoluble (A1 and A2) and glutelin (G1 and G2) fractions were isolated and compared in terms of their amino acid and protein compositions. The average proportions of nitrogen content between total alcohol-soluble proteins (TASP) and total glutelins (TGlu) in the pseudocereals amaranth and soybean were about 1.8:26.9 and 14.9:12.3 respectively. In the cereals maize and wheat these proportions were 47.8:33.2 and 44.7:31.2 respectively. The sum of essential amino acids was 47.6 and 60.3 g per 100 g protein in amaranth and soybean respectively. The highest contents of methionine, lysine and arginine were found in the pseudocereals. The relatively high content of essential amino acids shows that pseudocereals could be used as a nutrient substitute for cereals.