Studies on the Fluorescence of Saké

Abstract

The fluorescence spectra of various kinds of Saké were measured by using spectrofluoro-photometer (Hitachi MPF-2). At least two kinds of fluorescent color were observed in Saké, the one is blue and the other yellowish green. Blue color was dominant but its char-acters varied with kinds of Saké; on the con-trary yellowish green color was weak but seemed to have always the same characters. By the addition of salicylic acid to Saké, the blue color increased and its spectrum varied dis-tinctly from that of original Saké, and by the treatment with active charcoal, they decreased together remarkably. From the observation on fluorescence spec-itra of Saké, it seemed that the components of fluorescent color of Saké aged for a long time was similar to those of Saké kept under direct sunlight. Among. the blue fluorescent components, ferulic acid was isolated only from Saké in young on the contrary a considerable amount of harman was found in Saké kept under direct sunlight. Harman was isolated by the ethereal extraction from Saké and the sub-sequent paperchromatography. It was considered that an increment of blue fluorescent color in aging was caused by that of harman.