Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1218991 Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2008 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

The effects of traditional preparation methods and drying procedures on the provitamin A carotenoid content of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) roots was determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. All-trans-β-carotene was the major provitamin A carotenoid and the mean content of seven improved OFSP cultivars ranged from 108 to 315 μg/g dry matter. The retention of all-trans-β-carotene was 78% when OFSP were boiled in water for 20 min. When OFSP were steamed for 30 min the retention was 77%, whereas deep-frying OFSP roots for 10 min resulted in retention levels of 78%. Drying slices of OFSP roots at 57 °C in a forced-air oven for 10 h reduced the all-trans-β-carotene content by 12%. Solar drying and open-air sun drying OFSP slices to a moisture content of ⩽10% resulted in all-trans-β-carotene losses of 9% and 16%, respectively. The cis-isomer 13-cis-β-carotene was found in noticeable amounts in all processed samples, but not in any raw samples. The formation of 13-cis-β-carotene correlated with the original amount of all-trans-β-carotene found in the raw OFSP root. The high content of all-trans-β-carotene in the investigated improved OFSP varieties and the moderately low losses due to degradation and isomerization renders OFSP a suitable food source of provitamin A.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemistry Analytical Chemistry
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