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The carotenoids of tropical and Mediterranean fruits and their products

Brat P., Olle D., Reynes M., Brillouet J.M.. 2002. In : by Takuo Nakano and Lech Ozimek (eds.). Food science and product technology. Thiruvananthapuram : Research Signopost, p. 187-198.

This chapter examines the carotenoid composition (i.e. hydrocarbon carotenoids and xanthophylls) of the edible portion of ripe tropical and Mediterranean fruits. An overview of the chemical nomenclature, stereoisomerism and spectral characteristics of these carotenoids, is followed by a brief description of extraction, separation, identification and quantitation methodologies. Lycopene is the predominant carotenoid (20-50 microg/g fresh weight) in fruits possessing reddish-orange, red or pink flesh, such as red-fleshed papaya and grapefruit, and pink-fleshed guava. Papaya is also rich in provitamin A carotenoids, [bêta]-cryptoxan thin and its 5,6-epoxide (5-10 microg/g). Another provitamin A, [bêta]-carotene (10-20 microg/g), and violaxanthin (20-30 microg/g) are the main carotenoids in orange-yellow fleshed mangoes. Passion fruit is also rich in [bêta]-carotene (5-10 microg/g) while the main provitamin A carotenoid of mandarins is [bêta]-cryptoxanthin (5-20 microg/g). Sweet orange, banana, cashew apple, avocado, date, and carambola are less rich in carotenoids. Processing fruit generally involves heat treatment under acidic cond[bêta]itions and leads to (epoxy --> furanoxy) rearrangements, such as the transformation of violaxanthin (5,6,5',6'-diepoxy-5,6,5',6'-tetrahydro-[bêta],[bêta]-carotene-3,3'-diol) into auroxanthin (5,8,5',8'-diepoxy-5,8,5',8'-tetrahydro-[bêta],[bêta]-carotene-3,3'-diol). Hydrocarbon carotenoids, although undergoing trans-cis isomerization, seem to be less sensitive to such processing conditions.

Mots-clés : fruits tropicaux; fruits tempérés; caroténoïde; composition chimique; pigment; xanthophylle; extraction; technique analytique; méthode; traitement; propriété physicochimique

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