Identification and Distribution of Soluble Saccharides in Pickling Cucumber Plants and their Fate in Fermentation1

Abstract Leaves of Cucumis sativus L. contained predominantly, non-reducing sugars which included verbascose, stachyose, raffinose and sucrose. Glucose and fructose were also present. The major sugars of fruit were glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Stachyose was present in small fruit (5 to 7 g fresh weight), but no soluble galactose-containing saccharides were found in larger fruit. Other plant parts also contained the raffinose saccharides. The identities of these sugars were established by partial enzymatic hydrolysis and paper chromatographic examination of the hydrolytic products. Four species of lactic acid bacteria from cucumber fermentations were able to ferment stachyose, raffinose, sucrose, melibiose, galactose, glucose, and fructose.