Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Degradation of Carotenoids in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) During Drying Process

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carotenoids are natural compounds whose nutritional importance comes from the provitamin A activity of some of them and their protection against several serious human disorders. The degradation of carotenoids was investigated during apricot drying by microwave and convective hot-air at 60 and 70 °C. Seven carotenoids were identified: antheraxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, 13-cis-β-carotene, all-trans-β-carotene and 9-cis-β-carotene; among these, all-trans-β-carotene was found to be about 50 % of total carotenoids. First-order kinetic models were found to better describe all-trans-β-carotene reduction during drying, with a degradation rate constant (k1) that increased two folds when temperatures increased by 10 °C, in both methods. No differences were found in k1 between apricots dried by hot air at 70 °C (k1 = 0.0340 h−1) and by microwave at 60 °C. The evolution of total carotenoids (117.1 mg/kg on dry basis) during drying highlighted a wider decrease (about 50 %) when microwave heating was employed, for both set temperatures. Antheraxantin was found to be the carotenoid most susceptible to heat, disappearing at 6 h during both trials with microwave as well as during convective hot-air at 70 °C. For this reason, antheraxanthin could be a useful marker for the evaluation of thermal damage due to the drying process. Also the degree of isomerization of all-trans-β-carotene could be a useful marker for the evaluation of the drying process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

C- C0 :

Concentration (%) at time t and at time zero

HA:

Hot air

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

k0− k1 :

Zero order-first-order rate constant

MTBE:

Tert-methyl-butyl-ether

MW:

Microwave

t:

Drying time

t½ :

Time required to halve C0 during the drying

References

  1. Rodriguez-Amaya DB (2010) Quantitative analysis, in vitro assessment of bioavailability and antioxidant activity of food carotenoids - A review. J Food Comp Anal 23:726–740

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Piga A, Poiana M, Pinna I, Agabbio M, Mincione A (2004) Drying performance of five Italian apricot cultivars. Sci Aliments 24:247–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Karabulut I, Topcu A, Durana A, Turanb S, Ozturk B (2007) Effect of hot air drying and sun drying on color values and β-carotene content of apricot (Prunus armenica L.). Lebensm Wiss Technol 40:753–758

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Madrau MA, Piscopo A, Sanguinetti AM, Del Caro A, Poiana M, Romeo FV, Piga A (2009) Effect of drying temperature on polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of apricots. Eur Food Res Tech 228:441–448

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Schieber A, Carle R (2005) Occurrence of carotenoid cis-isomers in food: technological, analytical, and nutritional implications. Trends Food Sci Tech 16:416–422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Krinsky NL (2001) Carotenoids as antioxidants. Nutrition 17:815–817

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Beatty S, Boulton M, Henson D, Koh HH, Murray IJ (1999) Macular pigment and age related macular degeneration. British J Opht 83:867–877

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sass-Kiss A, Kiss J, Milotay P, Kerek MM, Toth-Markus M (2005) Differences in anthocyanin and carotenoid content of fruits and vegetables. Food Res Int 38:1023–1029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kurz C, Carle R, Schieber A (2008) HPLC-DAD-MS characterisation of carotenoids from apricots and pumpkins for the evaluation of fruit product authenticity. Food Chem 110:522–530

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Faulks RM, Southon S (2005) Challenges to understanding and measuring carotenoid bioavailability. Biochim Biophys Acta 1740:95–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Di Scala KC, Crapiste GH (2008) Drying kinetics and quality changes during drying of red pepper. Lebensm Wiss Technol 41:789–795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ferreira JEM, Rodriguez-Amaya DB (2008) Degradation of lycopene and β-carotene in model systems and in lyophilized guava during ambient storage: kinetics, structure, and matrix effects. J Food Sci 73:C589–C594

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Demiray E, Tulek Y, Yilmaz Y (2013) Degradation kinetics of lycopene, β-carotene and ascorbic acid in tomatoes during hot air drying. Lebensm Wiss Technol 50:172–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cuccurullo G, Giordano L, Albanese D, Cinquanta L, Di Matteo M (2012) Infrared thermography assisted control for apples microwave drying. J Food Eng 112:319–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Albanese D, Cinquanta L, Cuccurullo G, Di Matteo M (2013) Effects of microwave and hot air and drying methods on colour, β-carotene and radical scavenging activity of apricots. Int J Food Sci 48:1327–1333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Leccese A, Bureau S, Reich M, Renard M-G-C, Audergon J-M, Mennone C, Bartolini S, Viti R (2010) Pomological and nutraceutical properties in apricot fruit: cultivation systems and cold storage fruit management. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 65:112–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Panfili G, Fratianni A, Irano M (2004) Improved normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography procedure for determination of carotenoids in cereals. J Agric Food Chem 51:3940–3944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mouly PP, Gaydou EM, Corsetti J (1999) Determination of the geographical origin of Valencia orange juice using carotenoid liquid chromatographic profiles. J Chromatogr A 844:149–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Meléndez-Martínez AJ, Britton G, Vicario IM, Heredía FJ (2005) Color and carotenoid profile of Spanish Valencia late ultrafrozen orange juices. Food Res Int 38:931–936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ruiz D, Egea J, Gil MI, Tomás-Barberán FA (2005) Carotenoids from new apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) varieties and their relationship with flesh and skin color. J Agric Food Chem 53:6368–6374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Fraser PD, Bramley PM (2004) The biosynthesis and nutritional uses of carotenoids. Lipid Res 43:228–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Dragovic-Uzelac V, Levaj B, Mrkic V, Bursac D, Boras M (2007) The content of polyphenols and carotenoids in three apricot cultivars depending on stage of maturity and geographical region. Food Chem 102:966–975

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Fratianni A, Cinquanta L, Panfili G (2010) Degradation of carotenoids in orange juice during microwave heating. Lebensm Wiss Technol 45:867–871

    Google Scholar 

  24. Meléndez-Martínez AJ, Britton G, Vicario IM, Heredia FJ (2008) The complex carotenoid pattern of orange juices from concentrate. Food Chem 109:546–553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Penicaud C, Achir N, Dhuique-Mayer C, Dornier M, Bohuon P (2011) Degradation of β-carotene during fruit and vegetable processing or storage: reaction mechanisms and kinetic aspects: a review. Fruits 66:417–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Donado-Pestana CM, Salgado JM, de Oliveira Rios A, dos Santos PR, Jablonski A (2012) Stability of carotenoids, total phenolics and in vitro antioxidant capacity in the thermal processing of orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) cultivars grown in Brazil. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 67:262–270

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Panfili G, Fratianni A, Di Criscio T, Gammariello D, Sorrentino E (2008) Influence of microorganisms on retinol isomerization in milk. J Dairy Res 75:37–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Fratianni A, Di Criscio T, Mignogna R, Panfili G (2012) Carotenoids, tocols and retinols evolution during egg pasta – making processes. Food Chem 131:590–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Lavelli V, Zanoni B, Zaniboni A (2007) Effect of water activity on carotenoid degradation in dehydrated carrots. Food Chem 104:1705–1711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università del Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy

    Alessandra Fratianni, Rossella Mignogna, Luciano Cinquanta & Gianfranco Panfili

  2. Dipartimento Ingegneria Industriale, Università di Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy

    Donatella Albanese & Marisa Di Matteo

Authors
  1. Alessandra Fratianni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Donatella Albanese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rossella Mignogna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Luciano Cinquanta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gianfranco Panfili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Marisa Di Matteo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luciano Cinquanta.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fratianni, A., Albanese, D., Mignogna, R. et al. Degradation of Carotenoids in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) During Drying Process. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 68, 241–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-013-0369-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-013-0369-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation