Carotenoids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid content in yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) grown under different cultivation systems

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify and compare the content of tocopherols, ascorbic acid and carotenoids in yellow passion fruit grown under different cultivation systems. The passion fruits were obtained from two systems: an organic system and a conventional system. Samples from both systems were obtained in 2008. The tocopherols, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid analysis were carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the passion fruit grown under the organic cultivation approach contained a higher content of tocopherols than those cultivated using conventional methods (0.061 and 0.052 mg of tocopherols.100 g−1 of fresh fruit, respectively). The major component in the samples produced by both systems was γ-tocopherols, which were found at a concentration of 0.045 mg·100 g−1 in the organic fruits and 0.042 mg·100 g−1 in the conventional fruits. The amount of total ascorbic acid was 2.3 × 102 and 1.9 × 102 mg·100 g−1 in the samples from the organic and conventional systems respectively. The quantification of individual carotenoids in both the organic and conventional passion fruit was 13.99 mg·100 g−1and 25.10 mg·100 g−1 respectively. The conventional passion fruit contained double the content of the carotenoids present in the organic fruits. β-Criptoxanthin was the main carotenoid found in both fruits.