Fruits of Butia capitata (Mart.) Becc as good sources of β -carotene and provitamina

Butia capitata is a palm tree, widely found in the Brazilian savanna. Their fruits are largely used by local communities to prepare juices, jellies and ice-creams. The main objective of this work was to determine the carotenoids profile of Butia capitata fruits and their provitamin A values. Total carotenoids content ranged from 11.1 to 43.9 μg.g-1; β-carotene was the predominant carotenoid (5.2-22.8 μg.g-1), followed by γ-carotene, phytoene, phytofluene, ζ-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin (or zeinoxanthin) and α-carotene. Provitamin A values varied from 50 to 200 RAE.100g-1. This result suggests that B. capitata pulp may be a good source of β-carotene and provitamin A.

Influência da saponificação na determinação de carotenoides em maracujás do cerrado

This work describes the evaluation of the effect of saponification process in the carotenoid's content of three species of passion fruit. The results indicated the saponification of the extract was necessary to obtain cis-violaxanthin, trans-violaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin hydrolyzed. These compounds were found in fruits of commercial P. edulis and yellow wild P. edulis. However, the extract saponification did not permitted to obtain free carotenes in fruits of wild purple P. edulis and P. setacea, and to trans-violaxanthin of P. cincinnata, therefore saponification was not indicated in the carotenoid analysis of these three accessions of passion fruit.

Chemical composition of five loquat cultivars planted in Brazil

Loquat is a fruit with high market value cultivated in Southeast Brazil. Despite of this, there are little details about its quality characteristics. Fruits from five loquat cultivars, developed using genetic breeding, were analyzed to assess their compositional traits. The cultivars Centenária, Mizuho, Mizumo, Néctar de Cristal and Mizauto were selected based on their high productivity and resistance to diseases. Soluble sugars, organic acids, and carotenoids were quantified using liquid chromatography. The cultivar (cv.) with the highest total sugar concentration was Mizumo and the lowest concentration was found in Centenária. The main sugar detected was sucrose, and the malic acid was the major organic acid. Ascorbic acid was detected in small amounts. The total dietary fiber contents were almost the same in all cultivars. The major carotenoids detected were β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin, except for the cultivar Nectar de Cristal, a white pulp loquat. These results contribute to the knowledge about de physiology of loquat fruit, an interesting raw material due to its nutritional and sensorial characteristics. Furthermore, the results obtained could help to identify the most appropriate use of the loquats with different attributes either for consumption in natura or for industrial processing.

Quality of Canned mandarin as affected by preservation liquid

This study is integrated within a research line dedicated to evaluate different options to introduce mandarin in Spanish agro-food industries and in both national and international markets. The effects of different preservation liquids (sucrose solution, sucrose and ascorbic acid solution, grape, and grapefruit juices), soluble solids (10, 12, 14 ºBrix), and thermal processing (30 seconds at 98 ºC) on vitamin C, color, carotenoids and sensory quality of canned Satsuma mandarin segments were studied. The liquid preservation that presented the best results was grapefruit juice, which provided the highest vitamin C (323 mg.L-1) and total carotenoids (16.4 mg.L-1) contents (the main carotenoid found was β-cryptoxanthin), intense orange color, high thermal stability, and very good sensory quality (e.g. intense floral and fresh-mandarin aromas and low levels of off-flavors).

Physicochemical characterization and antioxidant capacity of pitanga fruits (Eugenia uniflora L.)

This study was carried out to obtain more information about the physicochemical properties, composition, and antioxidant activity of pitanga fruits (Eugenia uniflora L.), particularly fruits from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Pitanga with different flesh colors (purple, red, and orange) from tree selections cultivated at Embrapa Clima Temperado (RS-Brazil) were analyzed. Only slight differences were observed in the quality parameters and in the proximate and fatty acid compositions among the fruits studied. The extracts from purple-fleshed pitanga had the highest total phenolic and anthocyanin contents along with the highest antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP assays) of methanolic pitanga extracts was highly correlated with the total phenolic content, but in ethanolic extracts, the anthocyanin content was correlated only with the FRAP antioxidant capacity. Orange fleshed pitanga had higher β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene levels than those of the red fruit, which had higher lycopene content. The results indicate that the purple-fleshed pitanga, cultivated in Rio Grande do Sul, is a rich source of phenolic compounds and has high antioxidant capacity. The red and orange-fleshed pitanga, on the other hand, are rich sources of carotenoids.

Characterization of a high oleic oil extracted from papaya (Carica papaya L.) seeds

The physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid, tocopherol, and carotenoid composition of a crude oil extracted from papaya (Carica papaya L.) seeds, formosa variety, were investigated. The oil yield from the seeds was 29.16%. The data obtained for the analytical indexes were in agreement with those of other edible oils. The oil obtained had high oxidation resistance (77.97 hours). The major fatty acids in total lipid were oleic (71.30%), palmitic (16.16%), linoleic (6.06%), and stearic (4.73%) acid. The α and δ-tocopherol were the predominant tocopherols with 51.85 and 18.89 mg.kg-1, respectivelly. The β-cryptoxanthin (4.29 mg.kg-1) and β-carotene (2.76 mg.kg-1) were the carotenoids quantified, and the content of total phenolic compounds was 957.60 mg.kg-1. Therefore, the potential utilization of the papaya seeds for oil production seems favorable. However, toxicological studies need to be carried out before the oil is appropriate for food applications.

Influence of the moisture at harvest and drying process of the grains on the level of carotenoids in maize (Zea mays)

AbstractMaize is considered a source of carotenoids; however, these compounds are highly unstable, degraded by high temperatures, exposure to light and presence of oxygen. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the moisture and type of drying applied to grains on the level of carotenoids in yellow maize. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (2 × 4 factorial), two levels of initial moisture at the harvest (22 and 19%) and three types of drying (in the sun; in the shade and in a dryer) and control (no drying). The samples of grains after drying with 12% of final moisture were analyzed by concentration of total carotenoids, carotenes (α-carotene + β-carotene), monohydroxilated carotenoids (β-cryptoxanthin), and xanthophylls (lutein + zeaxanthin). Initial moisture, type of drying and the interaction between moisture versus drying influence (p≤0.05) the levels of carotenoids in grains. This is the first report about the drying conditions and harvest’s initial moisture as influence on the profile and content of carotenoids in maize grains. Based on the results, this work suggested that the harvest be carried out preferably when the grains present 22% humidity, with drying in a dryer or in shade for further use or storage.