Individual vitamin B6 contents in selected Japanese sushi toppings.

The contents of six natural vitamin B6 forms in popular Japanese sushi toppings were determined by a 4-pyridoxolactone-conversion HPLC method. The half-baked bonito exhibited the highest total vitamin B6 content and the northern shrimp sashimi the lowest. Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate plus pyridoxal was predominant in nine samples, and pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate plus pyridoxamine in two other samples. Pyridoxine 5′-phosphate plus pyridoxine was minor. The raw meats (sashimi) of fatty seawater fishes contain a lot of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and/or pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate. Five portions of sushi with 20 g of fatty seawater sashimi toppings would supply with vitamin B6 recommended by the Japanese Recommended Daily Allowance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]