Improved liquid chromatographic method for determination of carotenoids in Taiwanese mango ( Mangifera indica L.)

Abstract

An HPLC method was developed to determine the various carotenoids in Taiwanese mango ( Mangifera indica L.). Initially, the peel and seed of mangoes were removed, the pulps were cut into pieces, freeze-dried, ground into powder, extracted and subjected to HPLC analysis. A mobile phase of methanol–isopropanol (99:1, v/v) (A) and methylene chloride (100%) (B) with the following gradient elution was developed: 100% A and 0% B in the beginning, maintained for 15 min, decreased to 70% A in 45 min, maintained for 15 min and returned to 100% A in 65 min. A total of 25 carotenoids were resolved within 53 min by using a C-30 column with flow rate at 1 mL/min and detection at 450 nm. α-Carotene was used as an internal standard to quantify all the carotenoids. All- trans-β-carotene was present in largest amount (29.34 μg/g), followed by cis isomers of β-carotene (9.86 μg/g), violaxanthin and its cis isomers (6.40 μg/g), neochrome (5.03 μg/g), luteoxanthin (3.6 μg/g), neoxanthin and its cis isomers (1.88 μg/g), zeaxanthin (1.16 μg/g) and 9- or 9′- cis-lutein (0.78 μg/g).