The carotenoid pigments of the date

Abstract

The carotenoid pigments of the date ( Phoenix dactylifera) were investigated in 2 soft cultivars, ‘Hayany’ and ‘Barhee’, and in the semi-dry ‘Deglet Noor’. The total carotenoid content in the ripe fruit was 10–12 μg/g fresh weight. The carotenoid pattern in all investigated fruits was that of the chloroplast type, with only slight differences between the cultivars. Changes in the carotenoid pattern during ripening were followed in ‘Hayany’ and ‘Deglet Noor’. The total carotenoid content decreased drastically from 36.3 to 21.2 μg/g dry weight in the soft dates, and from 23.2 to 12.0 μg/g dry weight in the semi-dry cultivar. The carotenoid degradation may be due primarily to the loss of moisture during maturation, and is probably unrelated to the gradual darkening of the ripening fruit. The pattern of the retained carotenoids remained essentially similar. The vitamin A values of the 3 cultivars, expressed as retinol equivalents, were calculated.