Development of a Method for the Quantitative Estimation of Provitamin A Carotenoids in Some Fruits

Abstract

ABSTRACT A procedure for the quantitative estimation of provitamin A carotenoids beta ‐carotene, cryptoxanthin and cryptoxanthin esters in some fruits using conventional column and high performance liquid chromatography was developed. The provitamin A carotenoids were first separated by column chromatography on alumina prior to furthur separation and quantitation by reversed phase liquid chromatography. The distribution of provitamin A carotenoids in fruits varied. Among the provitamin A rich fruits, apricot, mango, and cantaloupe contained essentially beta ‐carotene whereas cryptoxanthin accounted for nearly half the total carotenoids in papaya, persimmon, and tangerine. Peach, red bell papper, oranges and red grapefruits were intermediate in their provitamin A content while tomato, yellow bell pepper, pineapple and watermelon were poor sources. Cryptoxanthin occurred acylated with C 8 to C 18 saturated fatty acids in the fruits analyzed.