Abstract
Tropical leafy-vegetables (n = 21) indigenous to Cameroon, Africa, were collected, processed, and analyzed for carotenoids by HPLC. The processing techniques used were oven drying; sun-drying; squeeze-washing and boiling; and a combination of boiling in alkaline salt and squeeze-washing. Carotenoids included lutein, α-carotene, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene (all-trans, 13-cis, and 9-cis), which varied by species (P 40% of total carotenoids. Traditional preparation and processing procedures led to significant losses of carotenoids and β-carotene was most affected during sun-drying with a maximum of 73.8% loss observed in A. acanthochiton.
Highlights
Leafy vegetables have been cited as a potential source of micronutrients [1]
The predominant carotenoid in all of the vegetables analyzed except H. sabdarifa was lutein that appeared at about 9 minutes. β-Carotene which appeared at 25 minutes, was the second most abundant, which included some 13-cis and 9-cis isomers that appeared at 22 and 27 minutes, respectively, in most of the vegetables
The exceptions were P. purpureum and H. sabdarifa, vegetables classified in the low carotenoid group, which had different relative carotenoid profiles
Summary
Leafy vegetables have been cited as a potential source of micronutrients [1]. Many types of leafy vegetables are consumed in Africa [2]. Epidemiological studies indicate that increased intake of vegetables is associated with decreased risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, cataract, macular degeneration, and other age-related diseases [3]. In addition to serving as a critical source of micronutrients, leafy vegetables are a rich source of many carotenoids [4,5]. More than 700 carotenoids have been identified in nature. Besides the well-known provitamin A activity of some carotenoids [7], they function as antioxidants and enhancers of the immune response, and as such are associated with lowered risk of developing degenerative diseases [8,9]
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