ARS | Publication request: A rapid spectrophotometric method to determine beta-carotene content in cucumis melo

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: February 27, 2004
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
Citation: Davis, A.R., Fish, W.W., Collins, J.K., Perkins Veazie, P.M. 2004. A rapid spectrophotometric method to determine beta-carotene content in cucumis melo. HortScience. 39(3):654.

Technical Abstract: The compound B-carotene is the predominant carotenoid in cantaloupe. Because of its antioxidant properties and health benefits, the B-carotene content in fruits and vegetables is of interest to the food industry. Current methods to assay B-carotene content in fruit are time consuming, expensive and use hazardous organic solvents. Here, we report preliminary data on a method to detect B-carotene content on 30 cantaloupe purees using light absorbance measured with a xenon flash colorimeter/spectrophotometer. Our puree absorbance method had a linear correlation coefficient with B-carotene content by hexane extraction/spectrophotometry of R2=0.7. This linear correlation shows that this method may work for quantitating B-carotene content in purees of fresh cantaloupe. Since pureeing the sample is the only processing required and no chemicals are needed, the method is rapid, inexpensive and is environmentally friendly.