CAROTENOID AND CAROTENOID ESTER COMPOSITION IN MANGO FRUIT AS INFLUENCED BY PROCESSING METHOD

The predominant carotenoids and carotenol fatty acid esters in extracts from fresh, frozen, and canned mango fruit slices have been separated and identified by high-perfomance liquid chromatography on two ''in series'' C-18 reversed-phase columns using a diode array detector, The pigment pattern was composed of oxygenated carotenoids (xanthophylls), carotenol mono(fatty acid esters), hydrocarbon carotenoids, and carotenol bis(fatty acid esters). The major identified components were antheraxanthin, violaxanthin, cis-isomers, and epoxy derivatives of lutein and beta-carotene. Canned mango fruit slices showed a significantly different pattern with beta-carotene the main carotenoid component (90%). Large differences in Hunter color values were observed between fresh or frozen and canned mango slices. Hunter color values of frozen slices approached the color of fresh mangoes, excluding the higher values of L (lightness) for frozen product.