Abstract
The genuine carotenoid pattern of pineapple infructescence was assessed by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MSn analysis. Prevailing pigments in the shell of 'MD2' (syn. "Extra Sweet") fruit were (all-E)-lutein and (all-E)-β-carotene, in addition to chlorophylls a and b. The edible flesh contained (all-E)-violaxanthin, (all-E)-β-carotene, and diverse esters of (9Z)-violaxanthin with caprylic, capric, lauric, and myristic acid. The latter esters have been reported for the first time as pineapple constituents. Total carotenoid concentrations in the edible fractions of the four varieties 'Sugar Loaf', 'Smooth Cayenne', 'MD2', and 'Queen Victoria' cultivated in Ghana ranged between 29 and 565 µg/100 g of fresh weight (FW). Total carotenoids in the flesh of fully ripe 'MD2' fruit exported by air freight amounted to 302 µg/100 g of FW, those in green ripe samples dispatched by sea freight to 359-432 µg/100 g of FW. All yellow fleshed cultivars exhibited a highly similar qualitative carotenoid profile.
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