Enhanced bioaccessibility of β‐carotene from yellow‐orange vegetables and green leafy vegetables by domestic heat processing

Effect of heat treatment involved in domestic cooking on the bioaccessibility of β‐carotene from yellow‐orange as well as green leafy vegetables was evaluated. Heat treatment of these vegetables by pressure‐cooking, stir‐frying and open‐pan boiling had a beneficial influence on the bioaccessibility of β‐carotene. The extent of increase in the per cent bioaccessibility of β‐carotene as a result of pressure‐cooking was 21–84%. Stir‐frying in presence of a small quantity of oil brought about an enormous increase in the bioaccessibility of β‐carotene from these vegetables, the extent of increase being 67–191%. Open‐pan boiling of vegetables increased the bioaccessibility of β‐carotene in the range 23–36%. Thus, among the three domestic heat processing methods, stir‐frying results in maximum bioaccessibility of this provitamin. The use of suitably heat‐processed vegetable sources of β‐carotene could form a dietary strategy to derive this micronutrient maximally by the population dependent on plant foods.