Degradation of carotenoids in pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) slices as influenced by microwave vacuum drying |
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| Authors: | Jiangfeng Song Xiaoping Wang Lili Meng Chunquan Liu |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Institute of Farm Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China;2. College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China;3. Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of microwave vacuum drying on carotenoids in pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) slices. Carotenoids were measured using the reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography technique. It was shown that compared with hot air drying, microwave vacuum drying inhibited color changes and significantly (p < 0.05) improved total carotenoid retention (89.1%) in pumpkin slices. During the microwave vacuum drying process, microwave power had an important effect on total carotenoid and all-trans carotenoids. As microwave power increased, the total carotenoid content significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and the levels of individual carotenoids, including all-trans-α-carotene, all-trans-β-carotene, and all-trans-lutein, generally decreased. However, there was an overall upward trend for the levels of 13-cis-β-carotene, 15-cis-β-carotene, 9-cis-β-carotene, and 9-cis-α-carotene. The trans carotenoid quality of the finished products was improved within a certain range of vacuum levels. In addition to the degradation induced by microwave energy, isomerization was considered to be responsible for the loss of all-trans carotenoids. These results indicated that inappropriate drying methods and conditions might result in high losses of all-trans carotenoids in pumpkins. |
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| Keywords: | Carotenoids MVD Pumpkin Degradation |
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