Carotenoid contents of extruded and non-extruded sweetpotato flours from Papua New Guinea and Australia

Carotenoid contents of extruded and non-extruded flours of Papua New Guinean and Australian sweetpotato cultivars were studied, using spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The cultivars differed (p < 0.05) in their total carotenoid and β-carotene contents, and the Original Beauregard cultivar had the highest total carotenoid and β-carotene contents among the cultivars. The spectrophotometry (84–1720 μg/g solids) method generally over-estimated the total carotenoid content compared to the more specific HPLC (23–355 μg/g solids) method. Extrusion significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the ΔL^∗ Hunter colour values, while the Δa^∗, Δb^∗, total colour change (ΔE), chroma (CR), and browning indices (BI) increased. With the extruder and screw configuration used, extrusion at 40% moisture and 300 rpm screw speed retained carotenoid maximally at more than 80%. This study reports, for the first time, carotenoids of flours from south Pacific sweetpotato cultivars, and carotenoid retention during extrusion.     

Carotenoid composition of the fruits of Capsicum annuum Cv. Bovet 4 during ripening

 The changes in the carotenoid pigments of the Capsicum annuum cv. Bovet 4 during ripening have been investigated quantitatively by means of an HPLC technique. In the chromatograms, 56 peaks were detected and 34 carotenoids were identified. In the ripe fruits, capsanthin, capsorubin, zeaxanthin, cucurbitaxanthin A, and β-carotene were found to be the main carotenoids, the remainder being capsanthin 5,6-epoxide, capsanthin 3,6-epoxide, karpoxanthin, cucurbitaxanthin B, violaxanthin, cycloviolaxanthin, antheraxanthin, capsanthone, nigroxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and several cis isomers and furanoid oxides. Received: 16 April 1997     

Carotenoid composition of the fruits of Capsicum annuum Cv. Bovet 4 during ripening

 The changes in the carotenoid pigments of the Capsicum annuum cv. Bovet 4 during ripening have been investigated quantitatively by means of an HPLC technique. In the chromatograms, 56 peaks were detected and 34 carotenoids were identified. In the ripe fruits, capsanthin, capsorubin, zeaxanthin, cucurbitaxanthin A, and β-carotene were found to be the main carotenoids, the remainder being capsanthin 5,6-epoxide, capsanthin 3,6-epoxide, karpoxanthin, cucurbitaxanthin B, violaxanthin, cycloviolaxanthin, antheraxanthin, capsanthone, nigroxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and several cis isomers and furanoid oxides. Received: 16 April 1997     

The influence of fruit ripening on the phytochemical content and biological activity of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv Habanero

During the past decade, it has been reported that the consumption of certain foods and spices such as pepper may have a positive effect on health. The present study evaluates the influence of fruit ripening on total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids and capsaicinoids content and antioxidant, hypoglycaemic and anticholinesterase activities of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv Habanero. The chemical investigation showed a different composition between the two stages of ripening (immature and mature). Generally, the concentration of carotenoids and capsaicinoids increased as the peppers reached maturity, whereas the concentration of phenols declined. The immature fruits showed the highest radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ of 97.14 μg/ml). On the contrary, the antioxidant activity evaluated by the β-carotene bleaching test showed a significant activity for mature peppers (IC₅₀ value of 4.57 μg/ml after 30 min of incubation). Mature peppers inhibited α-amylase with an IC₅₀ of 130.67 μg/ml. The lipophilic fractions of both mature and immature peppers exhibited an interesting and selective inhibitory activity against α-amylase with IC₅₀ values of 29.58 and 9.88 μg/ml, respectively. Both total extracts of mature and immature peppers inhibited butyrylcholinesterase selectively. The obtained results underline the potential health benefits as a result of consuming C. chinense Habanero and suggest that it could be used as new valuable flavour with functional properties for food or nutriceutical products on the basis of the high content of phytochemicals and found biological properties.     

Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value in ají (Capsicum baccatum L.) and rocoto (C. pubescens R. & P.), 2 pepper species from the Andean region

The carotenoid patterns of fully ripe fruits from 12 Bolivian accessions of the Andean peppers Capsicum baccatum (ají) and C. pubescens (rocoto) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-photodiode array detector (PDA)-mass spectrometry (MS). We include 2 California Wonder cultivars as C. annuum controls. A total of 16 carotenoids were identified and differences among species were mostly found at the quantitative level. Among red-fruited genotypes, capsanthin was the main carotenoid in the 3 species (25% to 50% contribution to carotenoid fraction), although ajíes contained the lowest contribution of this carotenoid. In addition, the contribution of capsanthin 5,6-epoxide to total carotenoids in this species was high (11% to 27%) in comparison to rocotos and red C. annuum. Antheraxanthin and violaxanthin were, in general, the next most relevant carotenoids in the red Andean peppers (6.1% to 10.6%). Violaxanthin was the major carotenoid in yellow-/orange-fruited genotypes of the 3 species (37% to 68% total carotenoids), although yellow rocotos were characterized by lower levels (<45%). Cis-violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and lutein were the next most relevant carotenoids in the yellow/orange Andean peppers (5% to 14%). As a whole, rocotos showed the highest contributions of provitamin A carotenoids to the carotenoid fraction. In terms of nutritional contribution, both ajíes and rocotos provide a remarkable provitamin A activity, with several accessions showing a content in retinol equivalents higher than California Wonder controls. Furthermore, levels of lutein in yellow/orange ajíes and rocotos were clearly higher than California Wonder pepper (≥1000 μg·100/g). Finally, the Andean peppers, particularly red ajíes, can be also considered as a noticeable source of capsanthin, the most powerful antioxidant compound among pepper carotenoids. Practical Application: Capsicum peppers are known for their content in carotenoids, although there is no information about 2 species with Andean origin: ajíes and rocotos. Due to their relevance for the Andean cuisine and increasing importance in ethnic restaurants in Europe, we studied their carotenoid pattern and vitamin A contribution.     

Native carotenoids composition of some tropical fruits

Many tropical fruits can be considered a reservoir of bioactive substances with a special interest due to their possible health-promoting properties. The interest in carotenoids from a nutritional standpoint has recently greatly increased, because of their important health benefits. Here we report the native carotenoids composition in six tropical fruits from Panama, which is considered a region of great biodiversity. The native carotenoid composition was directly investigated by an HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS methodology, for the first time. In Corozo 32 different carotenoids were detected, including a high content of β-carotene and lycopene. Sastra showed the highest content of zeaxanthin among the fruit investigated. In Sapote 22 different carotenoids were detected, including β-carotene and 10 different zeaxanthin-di-esters. Frutita showed a very high content of the apo-carotenoid β-citraurin, and of a number of its esters. In Maracuyà chino 14 carotenoids were detected, including a high amounts of mono-esterified lauric acid with β-cryptoxanthin and with cryptocapsin. Mamey rojo was characterised by ketocarotenoids with κ rings, both hydroxylated and not hydroxylated.     

Determination of Carotenoids in Fruits of Rosa sp. (Rosa Canina and Rosa Rugosa) and of Chokeberry (Aronia Melanocarpa)

Carotenoid composition of fruits of two Rosa species (Rosa canina and Rosa rugosa) and of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) was studied by high performance liquid chromatography. Nine carotenoids were determined: three carotenes (lycopene, ζ-carotene, β-carotene) and six xanthophylls (neoxanthin, trans-violaxanthin, cis-violaxan-thin, 5,6-epoxylutein, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin). This high number of compounds classified these fruits among those with the greatest variety of carotenoid pigments. Quantitatively large differences occurred in the carotenoid composition of the three fruits. Rosa hips contained the highest concentrations of total carotenoids, which were mainly comprised of lycopene and βcarotene. Conversely, total xanthophylls were low. In contrast to Rosa, fruits of Aronia were lower in total carotenoids while xanthophylls composed a higher proportion.     

Characterization of total capsaicinoids,colour and volatile compounds of Habanero chilli pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack.) cultivars grown in Yucatan

Total capsaicinoids, colour and volatile compounds of 10 Habanero chilli pepper (Capsicum chinense Jack.) cultivars grown in Yucatan, grouped by their colours: four red, five orange and one brown, were determined. The content of capsaicinoids, responsible for the pungency of chilli peppers, varied between 41.8 and 65.9 mg g⁻¹ dry fruit. Mean concentration of orange cultivars was 55.0 mg g⁻¹, while red cultivars had 45.0 mg g⁻¹ dry fruit, indicating that the first ones are more pungent. The composition of volatile compounds of the Habanero chilli peppers differs clearly for the different cultivars. Orange and brown cultivars have in general higher amounts of esters, with their fruity odour notes, than red cultivars. These differences are reflected in the amount of total volatiles, which is higher in orange and brown cultivars in comparison with red cultivars. From these results it can be concluded that orange and brown cultivars are better in terms of their flavour-relevant chemical composition than red cultivars.     

Analysis of carotenoids with emphasis on 9-cis β-carotene in vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in Israel

Recent epidemiological studies have directed the attention from the synthetic all-trans β-carotene to natural carotenoids predominant in fruits and vegetables as possible active ingredients for prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Seventeen fruits and 17 vegetables commonly consumed in Israel and the β-car-otene-rich alga, Dunaliella bardawil, were analysed for their content of carotenoids with emphasis on 9-cis β-carotene by reversed-phase, 3D photodiode array HPLC. Fourteen carotenoids were eluted in order of decreasing polarity, from polar oxycarotenoids to lipophilic hydrocarbons, and quantified in μg carotenoid per gram freeze-dried plant sample. The richest sources of total carotenoids (>100μg/g dry weight) in Israeli fruits were pittango, mango and papaya while, in vegetables, the predominant types were carrot, dill, parsley, tomato, lettuce, sweet potato and red pepper. Red fruits and vegetables contained mainly lycopene. Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables had high contents of hydrocarbon carotenes with substantial levels of cryptoxanthins and xanthophylls. The green vegetables had high contents of both xanthophylls and hydrocarbon carotenes. Relatively high ratios (9-cis to all-trans β-carotene) of above 0.2 g/g were noted in sweet potato, papaya, parsley, lettuce, dill, apricot, pepper, prune and pumpkin, compared to the high ratio of 9-cis to all-trans β-carotene in the alga Dunaliella (~ 1.0 g/g). The high content of 9-cis β-carotene in certain fruits and vegetables and the wide variety of carotenoids and stereoisomers of carotenoids in all plants should shift nutritional and medical attention from the synthetic all-trans β-carotene toward natural carotenoids as potential candidates for chemoprevention.     

Supercritical CO2 Extraction of β-Carotene from Sweet Potatoes

Using supercritical CO₂ to extract β-carotene there was approximately a five-fold or a three-fold increase in amount of carotenoids extracted from freeze-dried tissue relative to the amount extracted from oven-dried or fresh tissue, respectively. The most efficient conditions were at 48°C and 41.4 MPa. Of the total carotenoid content ～20% was inaccessible to supercritical CO₂. The HPLC carotenoid profile of sweet potatoes showed that the unextracted tissue contained 90%β-carotene, primarily as all-trans (ca. 99%). Supercritical CO₂ extracts contained up to 94%β-carotene. The isomer composition of β-carotene of supercritical extracts showed ～ 14% 13-cis and 11% 9-cis.     

The effect of domestic processing on the content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from chili peppers (Capsicum species)

The content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids from different chili peppers were analysed and the effects of typical domestic processing were investigated. Peppers were analysed before and after cooking by conventional boiling (10 min in 100 °C water) and also following a freezing period of four months in a domestic freezer (−20 °C). The content and bioaccessibility of the eight carotenoids quantified varied, depending on cultivar, species, colour and processing. Provitamin A carotenoids (β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin) and capsanthin were present at highest concentrations in the samples before and after processing. In general, yellow and orange peppers were the best sources of lutein, zeaxanthin and neoxanthin. Xanthophyll carotenoids were more efficiently transferred to the micelles and, therefore, were also more bioavailable. Processing decreased the carotenoid content in certain samples; however, the micellar content was generally not lower for processed peppers; therefore the bioaccessibility of carotenoids from processed peppers is enhanced relative to unprocessed peppers.     

Antioxidant activity of tomato lipophilic extracts and interactions between carotenoids and α-tocopherol in synthetic mixtures

In the present study we assayed the antioxidant activity of lipophilic extracts obtained from different tomato varieties. The results showed that cherry tomatoes, characterized by a high carotenoid content, had the highest antioxidant activity. A quantitative analysis of lycopene, β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol was also performed and the correlation between the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity was estimated. The highest correlation coefficient was found for lycopene (R² = 0.9236, P ≤ 0.001). The analysis of two-component mixtures containing α-tocopherol and carotenoids showed that significant synergism occurred for all the combinations which contained α-tocopherol and β-carotene mixed together. The highest synergistic effects were detected for α-tocopherol-lycopene mixtures, which were the most efficient combinations tested in the present study. The analysis of the carotenoid combinations indicated that synergism occurred for lycopene-β-carotene, lycopene-lutein and lutein-β-carotene mixtures. The analysis of four-component mixtures did not show statistically significant synergistic effects.     

The content of polyphenols and carotenoids in three apricot cultivars depending on stage of maturity and geographical region

During the ripening of three apricot cultivars (“Keckemetska ruza”, “Madjarska najbolja” and “Velika rana”) grown in two different geographical region of Croatia the changes of polyphenols and carotenoids were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV–Vis photo diode array detection. The content of individual polyphenols during ripening was quite similar, whereas their amount differed significantly. Immature fruits showed the highest level of polyphenols, which decreased at semi-mature fruits and did not change remarkably in commercial mature fruits. Among polyphenols, flavan-3-ols, chlorogenic acid and quercetin-3-rutinoside were dominant in all ripening stages of all apricot cultivars. The quantity of polyphenols during apricot fruits ripening depended on cultivars, while the region of cultivation did not have remarkable influence on polyphenols amount. During ripening carotenoids increased significantly especially β-carotene which represented 70–85% of the total carotenoid content. Besides β-carotene, in all apricot cultivars γ-carotene was found. α-Carotene, zeaxantin and lutein were found in cv. “Madjarska najbolja” and in cv. “Velika rana” α-carotene and lutein were determined. The region of cultivation and the cultivar were important factors, which influenced the carotenoid amount of apricot fruits, and this content was higher in cultivars grown in Mediterranean region.     

Drying temperature,endogenous antioxidants and capsaicinoids affect carotenoid stability in paprika (red pepper spice)

The major carotenoids and carotenoid esters in Capsicum annuum L. during thermal dehydration of pepper and storage of the ground product (paprika) were examined with special focus on the role of endogenous antioxidants such as vitamins E and C and capsaicinoids, the pungent materials in hot spice red pepper. A high‐performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed to achieve excellent separation and accurate detection of different carotenoid classes including free xanthophylls, monoesters, carotenes and di‐esters. The newly developed method included gradient elution on a reversed‐phase column with increasing proportions of isopropanol. The results indicated that presence of capsaicinoids in pungent pepper had a favourable effect on the stability of carotenoids during thermal drying. Among various di‐esters those of lutein and zeaxanthine, as well as the mono‐ester of β‐cryptoxanthin were more stable than those of capsorubin and capsanthin, pointing to the possible role of epoxide and carbonyl groups in the susceptibility of carotenoids. An Arrhenius plot for degradation of carotenoids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid as a function of drying temperature showed linear relationships for all components, with ascorbic acid being the most sensitive. During storage in a refrigerator for 3 months the paprika showed high degradation of all the examined carotenoids particularly in samples prepared from pods dried at high temperatures (90 and 100 °C). An exception was for β‐cryptoxanthin mono‐ester and violaxanthin di‐esters in a non‐pungent variety. The amounts of these carotenoids lost during storage were slightly affected by the change in drying temperature. Strong correlation was found between retention of colour in stored paprika and the initial content of ascorbic acid, but not with that of tocopherols or capsaicinoids. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

库买提杏中主要类胡萝卜素的组成和含量分析

为明确库买提杏中主要类胡萝卜素组分及含量,应用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测-大气压化学电离-质谱技术获取其色谱、质谱和光谱信息并与标准品信息相比较,分析鉴定杏中主要的类胡萝卜素,利用高效液相色谱定量检测鲜杏中主要类胡萝卜素。结果表明：库买提杏中主要含有β-胡萝卜素、α-胡萝卜素和β-隐黄素以及顺式异构体等类胡萝卜素组分,其中β-胡萝卜素含量（以干基计算）高达114?μg/g,说明库买提杏中蕴含丰富的β-胡萝卜素,可以作为人体获取β-胡萝卜素的食物来源。     

Vacuum frying reduces oil uptake and improves the quality parameters of carrot crisps

Recent consumer trends towards healthier and low fat products have had a significant impact on the snack industry. The objective of this study was to examine the most important quality parameters of vacuum and atmospheric fried carrot slices in order to identify the specific advantages of vacuum technology. Said parameters include oil uptake, colour changes, and trans α and β-carotene degradation. Equivalent thermal driving forces were used (ΔT = 60 °C and 80 °C) to compare the processes, maintaining a constant difference in temperature between the oil and the boiling point of water at the working pressure. The results showed that vacuum frying can reduce oil content by nearly 50% (d.b.) and preserve approximately 90% of trans α-carotene and 86% of trans β-carotene. This process also allowed for the raw carrot colour to be preserved, which was reflected by good correlations between a∗ and trans β-carotene content, b∗ and trans α-carotene content, and hue and total carotenoid content.     

Analysis of α-Cryptoxanthin, β-Cryptoxanthin, α -Carotene,and β-Carotene of Pandanus Conoideus Oil by High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Pandanus conoideus is an endemic plant of Papua, Indonesia, reported to be very rich in carotenoids. The purpose of this study was to develop method for the determination of carotenoids (α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene and β-carotene) in P. conoideus oil (PO) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). sing the proposed method in this research, carotenoids content of nine clones of PO were analyzed which ranged from 5.4-138.5 ng/mg for α-cryptoxanthin, 3.9-29.4 ng/mg for β-cryptoxanthin, 3.5-80.0 ng/mg for α-carotene, and 10.8-118.0 ng/mg for β-carotene. Our results showed that four carotenoids content was very small as compared to total carotenoids content (3027-19959 ng/mg). This suggests that those four carotenoids were not a major component of the PO carotenoids. Using the principal component analysis, nine clones of P. conoideus can be grouped based on the proximity of its carotenoid content into group A (Monsor, Mbarugum, Himbiak, Monsrus and Memeri), group B (Menjib Rumbai), and group C (Edewewits, Hibcau and Hityom).     

Carotenoid profiling in tubers of different potato (Solanum sp) cultivars: Accumulation of carotenoids mediated by xanthophyll esterification

The carotenoid profile of sixty potato cultivars (commercial, bred, old and native cultivars) has been characterised in order to provide information to be used in selective breeding programs directed to improve the nutritional value of this important staple food. Cultivars were segregated into three groups according to the major pigment in the carotenoid profile: violaxanthin (37 cultivars; especially those with higher carotenoid content), lutein (16 cultivars), and neoxanthin (7 cultivars). Other minor carotenoids were antheraxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene, while zeaxanthin was absent in all sample. The total carotenoid content ranged from 50.0 to 1552.0 μg/100 g dry wt, with an average value of about 435.3 μg/100 g dry wt. Sipancachi, Poluya and Chaucha native cultivars showed the highest carotenoid content (1020.0, 1478.2 and 1551.2 μg/100 g dry wt, respectively). Xanthophyll esters were present in most cultivars, mainly as diesterified forms, being observed a direct correlation between the carotenoid content and the esterified fraction, suggesting that the esterification process facilitates the accumulation of these lipophilic compounds within the plastids. Therefore, the presence of xanthophyll esters should be a phenotypic character to be included in the breeding studies, and more efforts should be dedicated to the understanding of the biochemical process leading to this structural modification of carotenoids in plants.     

Major carotenoid composition of Brazilian Valencia orange juice: Identification and quantification by HPLC

The carotenoid composition of Brazilian Valencia orange juice was determined by open column chromatography (OCC) and high-performance liquid chromatography. Carotenoid pigments were extracted using acetone and saponified using 10% methanolic potassium hydroxide. Sixteen pigments were isolated by OCC and identified as α-carotene, ζ-carotene, β-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein-5,6-epoxide, violaxanthin, lutein, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin, luteoxanthin A, luteoxanthin B, mutatoxanthin A, mutatoxanthin B, auroxanthin B and trollichrome B. Thirteen carotenoid pigments were separated using a ternary gradient (acetonitrile–methanol–ethyl acetate) elution on a C₁₈ reversed-phase column. Among these, violaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, ζ-carotene, α-carotene, and β-carotene were quantified. The total carotenoid content was 12 ± 6.7 mg/l, and the major carotenoids were lutein (23%), β-cryptoxanthin (21%), and zeaxanthin (20%).