TITLE:
Polyphenols, Carotenoids, Vitamin C Content in Tropical Fruits and Vegetables and Impact of Processing Methods
AUTHORS:
Emy Njoh Ellong, Corinne Billard, Sandra Adenet, Katia Rochefort
KEYWORDS:
Martinique Fruits and Vegetables, Total Polyphenols, Vitamin C, Carotenoids, Technology Process, Food Composition, Food Analysis, Nutritional Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.6 No.3,
March
9,
2015
ABSTRACT: Thirty-five fruits and seventeen vegetables from Martinique were evaluated for total phenol content (TPC), Vitamin C and carotenoid content. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents ranged from 11.7 to 978.6 mg/100g, 0.1 to 2853.8 mg/100g and 9.7 to 9269.7 μg/100g respectively. Fruits and vegetables from Martinique have equivalent or higher TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents than fruits and vegetables from temperate climates. Cashew apple had high values for all three parameters (55.8 mg/100g of Vitamin C, 603 mg/100g of TPC and 924 μg/100g of carotenoids). Bassignac mango and mamey apple had the highest carotenoid contents, with 3800.3 and 3199.7 μg/100g respectively. Acerola had the highest Vitamin C and polyphenol contents with 2853.8 μg/100g and 727.4 mg/100g respectively. Pigeon peas had high values for all three parameters (569.2 mg/100g of Vitamin C, 978.6 mg/100g of TPC and 364.3 μg/100g of carotenoids). Pumpkin and watercress had the highest carotenoid content, with 9269.7 and 4339 μg/100g respectively. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid content were significantly impacted by processing techniques. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents decreased by up to 75.78%, 100% and 70.18% respectively, depending on the processing technique used.