Degradation of carotenoids in pumpkin (Cucurbita maximaL.) slices as influenced by microwave vacuum drying
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of microwave vacuum drying on carotenoids in pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.) slices. Carotenoids were measured using the reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography technique. It was shown that compared with hot air drying, microwave vacuum drying inhibited color changes and significantly (p < 0.05) improved total carotenoid retention (89.1%) in pumpkin slices. During the microwave vacuum drying process, microwave power had an important effect on total carotenoid and all-trans carotenoids. As microwave power increased, the total carotenoid content significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and the levels of individual carotenoids, including all-trans-α-carotene, all-trans-β-carotene, and all-trans-lutein, generally decreased. However, there was an overall upward trend for the levels of 13-cis-β-carotene, 15-cis-β-carotene, 9-cis-β-carotene, and 9-cis-α-carotene. The trans carotenoid quality of the finished products was improved within a certain range of vacuum levels. In addition to the degradation induced by microwave energy, isomerization was considered to be responsible for the loss of all-trans carotenoids. These results indicated that inappropriate drying methods and conditions might result in high losses of all-trans carotenoids in pumpkins.
Authors: Jiangfeng Song, Xiaoping Wang, Dajing Li, Lili Meng, Chunquan Liu
Language: English
Topic: Food Drying and Modeling
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2488536670