Quantification of Carotenoids, α-tocopherol, and Ascorbic Acid in Amber, Mulligan, and Laird’s Large Cultivars of New Zealand Tamarillos (Solanum betaceum Cav.)

Date
2020
Authors
Diep, TT
Pook, C
Rush, EC
Yoo, MJY
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI AG
Abstract

Amber (yellow), Laird’s Large (red) and Mulligan (purple–red) cultivars of New Zealand tamarillo fruit were separated into pulp (endo- and mesocarp) and peel (exocarp), and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for carotenoids, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid contents. Fresh Mulligan pulp had the highest content of β-carotene (0.9 mg/100 g), α-tocopherol (1.9 mg/100 g), and ascorbic acid (28 mg/100 g). Higher concentrations of β-carotene and ascorbic acid, and lower concentrations of α-tocopherol were detected in pulps compared with peels. Compared with standard serves of other fruit, tamarillo had the highest β-carotene (9–20% RDI (recommended dietary intake)/serve), high ascorbic acid (67–75% RDI/serve), and α-tocopherol (16–23% adequate intake/serve). All cultivars had diverse carotenoid profiles dominated by provitamin A carotenoids (β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin) and xanthophyll carotenoids (lutein; zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin). Favorable growth conditions (high light intensity and low temperature) may explain the higher antioxidant vitamin content in New Zealand tamarillos compared to those from other countries. Tamarillo peels may be used as natural food coloring agent to reduce waste and deliver sustainable production.</jats:p>

Description
Keywords
Tamarillo; Dietary antioxidants; β-carotene; Ascorbic acid; α-tocopherol; Carotenoids; Provitamin A
Source
Foods, 9(6), 769. doi:10.3390/foods9060769
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© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)