Carotenoid Composition Research Articles

Carotenoid Extraction from Locally and Organically Produced Cereals Using Saponification Method

Carotenoids are important phytochemicals contributing nutritional health benefits in the human diet, with a significant contribution from cereals as one of the major food component around the world. Different methods have been described and adopted for the extraction and isolation of carotenoid compounds. Saponification can be seen as an option for carotenoid extraction from cereals as it converts retinol esters to retinol and removes other abundant compounds such as triglycerides. Extraction of carotenoids content of locally adapted and organic cereals have been limitedly investigated and was, therefore, evaluated in the present study, with a specific aim to understand genotypic and local cultivation effects and interactions. Therefore, 17 diverse cereal genotypes of local origin were grown organically in four localities and evaluated for carotenoid content and composition by HPLC. The results showed a large variation in content and composition of carotenoids in locally adapted and organically grown cereal genotypes, with lutein as the dominating type in wheat and rye, while zeaxanthin was the dominating type in barley. High-level genotypes showed values (9.9 mg/kg of total carotenoids) similar to the highest values previously reported in specific types of wheat. The barley genotypes showed relatively high stability in carotenoids content within and between cultivation locations, while large interactions were found with the cultivation location for the rest of the genotypes, indicating their local adaptation. The local adaptation of the cereal genotypes evaluated contributes large opportunities for local production of high value, highly nutritious food products, while the direct value of these genotypes for conventional plant breeding for varieties performing similar over broad environmental ranges, are more limited.

Transcriptome regulation of carotenoids in five flesh-colored watermelons (Citrullus lanatus).

BackgroundFruit flesh color in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a great index for evaluating the appearance quality and a key contributor influencing consumers’ preferences. But the molecular mechanism of this intricate trait remains largely unknown. Here, the carotenoids and transcriptome dynamics during the fruit development of cultivated watermelon with five different flesh colors were analyzed.ResultsA total of 13 carotenoids and 16,781 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 1295 transcription factors (TFs), were detected in five watermelon genotypes during the fruit development. The comprehensive accumulation patterns of carotenoids were closely related to flesh color. A number of potential structural genes and transcription factors were found to be associated with the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway using comparative transcriptome analysis. The differentially expressed genes were divided into six subclusters and distributed in different GO terms and metabolic pathways. Furthermore, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis and predicted the hub genes in six main modules determining carotenoid contents. Cla018406 (a chaperone protein dnaJ-like protein) may be a candidate gene for β-carotene accumulation and highly expressed in orange flesh-colored fruit. Cla007686 (a zinc finger CCCH domain-containing protein) was highly expressed in the red flesh-colored watermelon, maybe a key regulator of lycopene accumulation. Cla003760 (membrane protein) and Cla021635 (photosystem I reaction center subunit II) were predicted to be the hub genes and may play an essential role in yellow flesh formation.ConclusionsThe composition and contents of carotenoids in five watermelon genotypes vary greatly. A series of candidate genes were revealed through combined analysis of metabolites and transcriptome. These results provide an important data resource for dissecting candidate genes and molecular basis governing flesh color formation in watermelon fruit.

Caryocar brasiliense Camb. fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado as a rich source of carotenoids with pro-vitamin A activity

Caryocar brasiliense Camb. is the best-known fruit of the Brazilian Cerrado. This fruit has yellow pulp containing several carotenoids and has a strong and exotic flavor; however, its composition may vary due to factors such as genotypic differences, seasonality, cultivation forms, climatic and soil characteristics, maturation stage, type of storage and processing. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the chemical composition of carotenoids with pro-vitamin A activity of C. brasiliense fruits from 18 Brazilian municipalities. The vitamin A value expressed as μg Retinol Activity Equivalent (RAE) in the fresh fruit and carotenoid profile were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC- DAD). The main carotenoids found were β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. High variation in vitamin A values were observed, especially among the fruits from Gato-Preto-MA with (1.4 μg RAE/100 g fresh fruit) and Januária-MG (719 μg RAE/100 g fresh fruit). PC1 and PC2 explored about 98.80% of the data variance in the multivariate analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and organized the C. brasiliense fruits in three clusters by decreasing vitamin A values. The fruits from the municipalities of Januária, Japonvar, Arinos, Salinas and Montes Claros showed higher carotenoid content.

Carotenoid composition and antioxidant activities of Chinese orange-colored tomato cultivars and the effects of thermal processing on the bioactive components.

To facilitate the production of tomato products with high bioactivity and improve the utilization of orange-colored tomatoes, the carotenoids of 11 tomato cultivars were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Moreover, antioxidant activities were evaluated by four chemical-based assays, and the influences of thermal treatment on the carotenoids in orange-colored tomatoes rich in tetra-cis (7Z, 9Z, 7'Z, and 9'Z)-lycopene, phytofluene, and phytoene were studied. The nine orange-colored tomatoes (OT) were divided into two categories: OT-B, containing five cultivars rich in β-carotene, and OT-L, containing the other four cultivars that were abundant in tetra-cis-lycopene, phytofluene, and phytoene. The antioxidant activities of OT-L were higher than those of OT-B and the SD-2 cultivar in OT-L showed similar antioxidant activity to the red tomatoes. During thermal processing, tetra-cis-lycopene in SD-2 decreased about 38% after being exposed to heat for 2 hr at 80 °C, while its content was still higher than other lycopene isomers. Other-Z-lycopenes and all-trans (E)-lycopene increased from 2.36 ± 0.19to 14.73 ± 1.16µg/g fresh weight (FW) and 0.75 ± 0.10to 5.91 ± 1.02µg/g FW, respectively. Thus, thermal treatments at lower temperature, such as cold break and pasteurization, were more suitable for processing OT-L. The results demonstrated that OT-L could be an excellent raw material to produce tomato products with high bioavailability and bioactivity. The results of this research could provide helpful information for the research and development of tomato products using orange tomatoes and benefit planters and consumers. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Some orange tomato cultivars are promising raw materials for tomato products because of their high contents of bioactive tetra-cis-lycopene, phytofluene, and phytoene. This study demonstrated the carotenoid components and antioxidant activities of the widely planted orange-colored tomatoes in China. The obtained knowledge, including the thermal processing effects on the isomerization and degradation of carotenoids in the cultivars, will offer useful information to food processors and benefit the consumers.

Evaluation of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Himalayan Red chilli varieties

Three varieties of Himalayan Red chilli of North India (Kashmiri Local, Kupwari Local and Shalimar Long) were evaluated for their proximate composition, mineral content, carotenoid and capsaicinoid composition, total phenolics and flavonoids including phenolic acids and antioxidant activity. Magnesium was found to be a major mineral present in all the varieties. A total of 6 major carotenoids and 3 major capsaicinoids were found by HPLC, out of which capsanthin and capsaicin were dominant components primarily responsible for the attractive bright red colour and pungency (hotness) respectively. The total carotenoids and capsaicinoids of three chilli varieties ranged from 1005 to 1162 mg/kg and 1046–1231 mg/kg respectively. The total phenolics and flavonoids were of the order of 7438–11930 mg GAE/kg and 3778–6116 mg RU/kg. Among all the phenolic acids analysed, gallic acid was found to be dominant in all the varieties of red chilli. Shalimar Long variety was found to exhibit significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher capsaicinoids, total phenolics, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Kupwari Local variety was found to possess significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher carotenoids, thereby contributing to bright red colour. The highest antioxidant potential with low EC50 value was contributed from Shalimar Long variety for all antioxidant assays.

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, TOTAL PHENOLIC AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF KENINGAU GROWN CUCUMIS SATIVUS L. AT TWO GROWTH STAGES

The maturation stage of Cucumis sativus is among the important factors affecting its composition and quality. Hence, this study monitored the differences in total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, pigment and colour of Keningau-grown cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) at two stages of maturities, namely the semi-ripe (SR) and ripe (R). The colourimetric and spectroscopic findings revealed significant differences in the assessed variables (P < 0.05) in the two growth stages except for the pigment. The colour of semi-ripe cucumbers was of lower L* (33.39 ± 4.26) and a* (−10.00 ± 1.74) mean values, while the ripe cucumbers registered the corresponding mean values of 36.71 ± 2.85 and −8.90 ± 1.85. R cucumbers gave a higher mean b* coordinate (16.38 ± 3.16) over the SR ones (14.52 ± 2.52). Compositions of pigments, namely, chlorophyll-a (SR: 4.86 ±0.01 μg/mL, R: 3.55 ± 0.00 μg/mL), chlorophyll-b (SR: 2.12 ± 0.02 μg/mL, R: 1.79, 0.02 μg/mL) and total chlorophyll were higher in SR (6.98 ± 0.02 μg/mL) than R ( 5.34 ± 0.02 μg/mL) cucumbers, except for the composition of carotenoids (SR: 0.82 ± 0.01 μg/mL, R: 1.78 ± 0.01 μg/mL). The TPC in SR was higher (424.21± 5.32 mg/g) than the R ones (185.51±4.62 mg/g), with the corresponding antioxidant activity (IC50) for SR and R at 157.98 ± 1.57 and 191.66 ± 2.58 μg/mL, respectively. TPC and antioxidant activity between the SR and R cucumbers were negatively correlated (−0.992), which meant that not all phenolic compounds were involved in free radical scavenging.

Effect of drying methods on biorefinery process to obtain capsanthin and phenolic compounds from Capsicum annuum L.

Red peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) that are eliminated as waste due to its low quality for commercialization were used as raw material to recover bioactive compounds in a biorefinery approach. The effect of temperature (40, 60 °C) and pressure (15, 25, 35 MPa) was evaluated on the oleoresin extraction yield and carotenoids composition obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The effect of drying technique (solar drying, conventional oven, and freeze-drying) was evaluated. Sequentially, the effect of solvent type (100% ethanol and 75% (vol/vol) ethanol) using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was evaluated on the recovery of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The best SFE condition was 60 °C and 25 MPa. The drying methods did not significantly affect carotenoids recovery by SFE. For PLE, the composition of the solvent influenced the extraction yield and composition. The highest values for total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were obtained using 100% ethanol as solvent.

Nutritional quality of pro-vitamin A, biofortified maize

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) which is caused by a chronic inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A is a major public health problem in many developing countries. In SSA countries, VAD continues to be a serious public health problem despite implemented strategies to alleviate VAD. Provitamin A bio fortified maize, which has been developed through plant breeding, has the potential to act as an additional strategy to eliminate VAD. The feasibility of using provitamin A biofortified maize to alleviate VAD is critically dependent on consumer acceptance of the provitamin A biofortified maize. Generally, biofortification is used to influence the nutritional composition of the provitamin A-biofortified maize grain varieties, including carotenoid composition. Thus, in terms of grain quality and nutritional composition, provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties would be, overall, a better food source than the normal white maize. Biofortification can be achieved through conventional selective breeding or through genetic engineering or molecular breeding. It could help to identify the traits that the breeders need to focus on, in order to make the biofortified maize more acceptable.

Metabolite profile and genes/proteins expression in β-citraturin biosynthesis during fruit ripening in Chinese raspberry (Rubus chingii Hu)

Carotenoids are one of the most abundant pigments in raspberries. Rubus chingii Hu, indigenous to China, is traditionally consumed for health benefits. However, the carotenoid composition and pathways of R. chingii have not yet been studied. In this study, the components of carotenoids and genes/proteins involved in their biosynthesis were investigated during four fruit ripening phases via LC-MS/MS. Zeaxanthin, β-citraurin and its esters, first identified in Rubus, gradually accumulated during fruit maturation. These compounds, rather than anthocyanins, were responsible for the ripe fruit coloration. In carotenoid metabolism, upstream synthesis genes of RcPSY2 (CL1406.Contig2), RcPDS1 (CL7625.Contig2), RcZDS1 (CL590.Contig6) and RcCRTISO1 (CL6919.Contig2) were up-regulated in gene/protein expression to accelerate carotene biosynthesis. Downstream genes of RcLUT5CHYB/CYP97A (CL8884.Contig3) and RcCHYB/BCH (CL7966.Contig1) were up-regulated in gene/protein expression, while RcCHYE/CYP97C (CL9380.Contig1/2) were maintained at low levels. RcLCYE (Unigene19570) was down-regulated while RcLCYB (CL7586.Contig1) was up-regulated and then down-regulated. These differential gene/protein expressions between LCYB and LCYE, and between CHYE and CHYB led to zeaxanthin accumulation by elevating its biosynthetic enzymes and lowering enzymes for lutein biosynthesis. In apocarotenoid biosynthesis, RcCCD (CL1310.Contig3) was up-regulated in gene/protein expression, which raised the content of β-citraurin and its esters. Additionally, these genes/proteins diverged into different subgroups with distinct pattens of expression, suggesting their difference in function. For example, RcPSY1/3, RcZDS2, and RcCRTISO2/3 genes were expressed at very low levels, suggesting that they may be active in other tissues rather than in fruit. The mechanism of zeaxanthin and β-citraurin biosynthesis is responsible for fruit coloration, which is completely novel to Rubus.

Enrichment of chicken table eggs with lycopene and astaxanthin

Ensuring an attractive commercial appearance of egg yolks involves the introduction to the feed of laying hens of the dyes of various origins. Recently, egg producers have preferred natural dyes, which include carotenoids: lycopene and astaxanthin, which can be deposited in chicken egg yolks. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of egg yolks, colour intensity and carotenoid composition of yolks when oil extracts of lycopene (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg feed) or astaxanthin (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg feed) are included in the chickens’ diet. 45 High Line W36 chickens at the age of 24 weeks were used for the experiment. Feeding laying hens with supplements of lycopene oil extracts at doses of 30, 40 and 60 mg/kg and astaxanthin at doses of 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg of feed for 30 days in increasing concentrations did not affect egg weight, albumen height, Haugh unit, strength and the thickness of the shell. The addition of lycopene to the diet of chickens at doses of 20 mg/kg of feed increased the content of lycopene, unidentified carotenoids and the total content of carotenoids in the yolks, but did not change the intensity of their colour. Increasing the dose of lycopene in the diet of chickens to 40 and 60 mg/kg of feed increased the content of lycopene in yolks and the intensity of their colour to 7.4 and 8.0 points against 5.6–6.1 points in the control, but did not affect the content of β-carotene and total carotenoids in the yolks. The addition of astaxanthin oil extract at doses of 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg of feed increased the content of astaxanthin, β-carotene and total carotenoids in chicken egg yolks and increased the intensity of their colour to 12.8, 14.8 and 14.4 points on a 16-point colour scale YolkFanTM. To obtain chicken table eggs with a given colour of the yolks, it is advisable to use the addition of astaxanthin oil extract in doses from 10 to 20 mg/kg of feed for 30 days. The results of the research can be used to develop a technology for the production of functional table eggs enriched with carotenoids of natural origin with an attractive colour for consumers.

Peculiarities of pumpkin carotenoid composition ‘Konfetka’ variety, prospects of utilization

Relevance. Pumpkin is one of the most important source of carotenoids for humans: β- and α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin playing a fundamental role in providing twilight and color vision accordingly.Results. Investigation of pumpkin carotenoid composition, Konfetka variety, revealed for the first time that this cultivar is the only one containing exclusively lutein in pulp with lutein and zeaxanthin in peel and lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in placenta. Lutein concentration in pulp reached 11 mg/100 g, peel – 41.3/100 g, placenta – 51.2 mg/100 g. Zeaxanthin was absent in pulp and reached 28.3 mg/100 g in peel, and 10 mg/100 g in placenta. β-Carotene was detected only in placenta where its concentration was as much as 94.7 mg/100 g. The results indicate great prospects of ‘Konfetka’ components utilization (pulp, peel, placenta) in food industry, production of baby food and biologically active food additives, containing lutein and zeaxanthin.

Flower color classification and correlation between color space values with pigments in potted multiflora chrysanthemum

Flower color, which varies widely in potted multiflora chrysanthemum, is an extremely important character for classification. A quantitative definition of the flower color of potted multiflora chrysanthemums and the establishment of a standard color classification system may help us to evaluate the germplasm resources effectively. In this study, 273 potted multiflora chrysanthemum advanced lines were selected as materials. First, color classification results were compared between two methods: one is a combination of CIELAB and Munsell color systems, and the other one applying Q clustering analysis based on the CIELAB color system. We then divided the 273 lines into six color groups. The composition and content of anthocyanins and carotenoids in the different color advanced lines were identified by HPLC-MS. Two derivatives of cyanidin, cyanidin-3-O-(6″-O-malonyl-glucoside) and cyanidin-3-O-(3″,6″-O-dimalonyl-β-glucopyanoside), were identified in the pink, purple, orange-brown, and red lines. The carotenoids, primarily consisting of violanthin, z-violanthin, 9′z-lutein 5,6-epoxide, lutein, α-carotene, β-carotene, and 9z-β-carotene, were identified in all chrysanthemum advanced lines. Additionally, a*, represents the green-red component with green in the negative direction and red in the positive direction, was strongly positively correlated with cyanidin-3-O-(6″-O-malonyl-glucoside) (r = 0.884, P < 0.01), cyanidin-3-O-(3″, 6″-O-dimalonyl-β-glucopyanoside) (r = 0.864, P < 0.01) and total anthocyanins (r = 0.896, P < 0.01) by linear regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients. Meanwhile, b*, represents the blue–yellow component with blue in the negative direction and yellow in the positive direction, was strongly positively correlated with lutein (r = 0.804, P < 0.01) and total carotenoids (r = 0.881, P＜0.01) in potted multiflora chrysanthemum. Then, linear equations were obtained according to the significant correlations between a* and anthocyanins and b* and carotenoids. These results were helpful for rapidly and accurately estimating the content of anthocyanins/carotenoids.

Different impact of high light on the response and recovery of wild type and lut2 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana at low temperature

Carotenoid composition is important for plant protection against unfavorable environment. In the present study the effect of several days treatment with high light illumination at low temperature (500 µmol photons m−2 s−1 and (12/10 °C) on Arabidopsis thaliana plants—wt and mutant lut2, was investigated. In addition, a comparative study of the ability of wt and lut2 plants to recover after one week return to control conditions was performed. The response of wt and lut2 to both stress factors was evaluated by changes in net photosynthesis, photochemistry and energy distribution and interaction between both photosystems. The alterations in oxygen evolving capacity were evaluated by registration of flash-induced oxygen yields and kinetics of initial oxygen burst. For the first time the effect of exposure at low temperature/high light on the fluidity of thylakoid membranes isolated from wt and lut2 mutant was followed. The analysis of low temperature (77 K) fluorescence emission and excitation spectra revealed that during exposition to both stress factors the antenna size of photosystem I and photosystem II were affected. Lut2 mutant showed higher sensitivity to the inhibitory action of high light at low temperature, with the grana-situated photosystem II centers being more affected. However, lut2 mutant exhibited a higher ability to restore the photosynthetic activity after recovery period under control conditions. Data presented showed that at low temperature, complete replacement of lutein in lut2 mutant by xanthophyll cycle-associated carotenoids did not result in higher protection against high light, but facilitated better recovery during the recovery period.

Resumption of Cyclic Ovarian Activity by Herbal Preparation AyuFertin in Bulgarian Murrah Buffaloes at Early Postpartum.

Simple SummaryShortening the inter-calving interval is the most important problem in buffalo breeding, especially on organic farms, where the use of hormones is prohibited. The demand for herbal preparations that stimulate the activity of ovaries, as well as the choice of an appropriate time for their application, remains essential today. This study provides the results of the positive effect of the herbal product, which identified a wide range of bioactive substances—carotenoids, flavonoids, and fatty acids, including esters of trienoic fatty acids, on the resumption of the cyclic ovarian activity in early postpartum buffaloes. Overcoming postpartum anestrus in buffaloes is highly cost-effective due to cost savings for keeping dry, unproductive animals.This study evaluates the phytochemical composition and ability of herbal preparation AyuFertin, supplemented shortly after calving, to resume the cyclic ovarian activity in postpartum Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes. In total, 13 healthy Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes at the age of 4–10 years, calved in March–April 2019 were involved in the experiment. Seven experimental buffaloes were treated individually per os with AyuFertin according to producer instruction. All animals were subjected to regular ultrasound examination of ovaries. GC-MS analysis of fatty acids composition and HPLC-DAD analysis of carotenoid and tocopherol content in AyuFertin were conducted. The determination of estrus occurrence and natural mating were done by a fertile bull. The development of the large follicles (12.5–14.3 mm) in 85.7% of treated animals was observed on day 24 postpartum compared to 0% in controls. Clinical signs of estrus were recorded in 71.4% of the animals, followed by an 80% pregnancy rate versus 16% in controls within 70 days after calving. In conclusion, the supplementation of the bioactive herbal product AyuFertin from day 21 postpartum can stimulate the follicular growth in the buffalo’s ovary, which leads to the development of follicles with ovulatory capacity, followed by successful ovulation. The above-mentioned treatment resulted in a better pregnancy rate in the treated multiparous compared to the control buffaloes bred by natural service.

2A-linked bi-, tri-, and quad-cistrons for the stepwise biosynthesis of β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and ketocarotenoids in rice endosperm

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 2A constructs have been successfully used for the production of “Golden Rice”, a β-carotene producing rice strain. However, to allay public fears and opposition to plants carrying a mammalian pathogenic viral sequence, 2A-like synthetic sequences from Thosea asigna virus and Infectious myonecrosis virus were used to coordinate the coexpression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes. Here, up to four carotenogenic genes encoding PSY, CRTI, BCH and BKT were concatenated and produced β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and ketocarotenoids (astaxanthin and adonixanthin) in transgenic rice seeds displaying color variation due to the difference in carotenoid content and composition.

Allelic composition of carotenoid metabolic genes in 13 founders influences carotenoid composition in juice sac tissues of fruits among Japanese citrus breeding population.

To enrich carotenoids, especially β-cryptoxanthin, in juice sac tissues of fruits via molecular breeding in citrus, allele mining was utilized to dissect allelic variation of carotenoid metabolic genes and identify an optimum allele on the target loci characterized by expression quantitative trait (eQTL) analysis. SNPs of target carotenoid metabolic genes in 13 founders of the Japanese citrus breeding population were explored using the SureSelect target enrichment method. An independent allele was determined based on the presence or absence of reliable SNPs, using trio analysis to confirm inheritability between parent and offspring. Among the 13 founders, there were 7 PSY alleles, 7 HYb alleles, 11 ZEP alleles, 5 NCED alleles, and 4 alleles for the eQTL that control the transcription levels of PDS and ZDS among the ancestral species, indicating that some founders acquired those alleles from them. The carotenoid composition data of 263 breeding pedigrees in juice sac tissues revealed that the phenotypic variance of carotenoid composition was similar to that in the 13 founders, whereas the mean of total carotenoid content increased. This increase in total carotenoid content correlated with the increase in either or both β-cryptoxanthin and violaxanthin in juice sac tissues. Bayesian statistical analysis between allelic composition of target genes and carotenoid composition in 263 breeding pedigrees indicated that PSY-a and ZEP-e alleles at PSY and ZEP loci had strong positive effects on increasing the total carotenoid content, including β-cryptoxanthin and violaxanthin, in juice sac tissues. Moreover, the pyramiding of these alleles also increased the β-cryptoxanthin content. Interestingly, the offset interaction between the alleles with increasing and decreasing effects on carotenoid content and the epistatic interaction among carotenoid metabolic genes were observed and these interactions complexed carotenoid profiles in breeding population. These results revealed that allele composition would highly influence the carotenoid composition in citrus fruits. The allelic genotype information for the examined carotenoid metabolic genes in major citrus varieties and the trio-tagged SNPs to discriminate the optimum alleles (PSY-a and ZEP-e) from the rest would promise citrus breeders carotenoid enrichment in fruit via molecular breeding.

Investigation of the potential of industrial carrot processing waste for the release of bioactive substances

Bioflavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antitumor, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antithrombogenic activity. A large amount of these valuable bioactive substances gets wasted waste after processing of fruits and vegetables, carrots in particular. The article studies the possibility of using carrots pulp of the Losinoostrovskaya, Nantes (Nantskaya) and Queen of Autumn (Koroleva Oseni) varieties as a source of flavonoids and carotenoids. It was determined that the highest content of the target substances is extracted using ethanol with a concentration of 96%. We carried out the pectrophotomoteric evaluation of the composition and quantitative determination of flavonoids and carotenoids in pulp. It was found that carotenoids were the predominant component of extracts in the studied pulp samples. Their content was 1.8-1.9 times higher than flavonoids. One of the directions in the development of methods for increasing the efficiency of isolation of bioactive compounds can be methods for increasing the yield of bound phenolic compounds with high biological activity.

Determination of Carotenoids of Tomato Fruits of Different Colors

A method for the determination of the composition of carotenoids of tomato fruits of different colors is proposed using a combination of spectrophotometry and chromatography. An explanation of the elution order of mono-cis-isomers of lycopene under the conditions of reversed-phase chromatography on traditional “monomeric” reversed C18-phases is proposed for the first time. It was found that, for prolycopene, (7Z, 9Z, 7'Z, 9'Z)-lycopene, which is responsible for the orange color of fruits, there is an almost imperceptible transition in normal examination in the vibronic structure of the electronic absorption spectrum with the lowest energy, λmax(1) = 486.2 nm. The main carotenoids of tomato fruits of different colors were determined: trans-lycopene and its cis-isomers for fruits of red and pink colors, protolycopene and other carotenes preceding its biosynthesis for fruits of orange color, and the carotenoid composition of yellow tomatoes significantly differing from that of tomatoes of first two colors by a considerable accumulation of lutein. For the quantitative assessment of the concentration of carotenoids with different chromophores, a calculation system ensuring the determination of the contribution of each of the components of complex mixtures was proposed.

Tetraedron minimum, First Reported Member of Hydrodictyaceae to Accumulate Secondary Carotenoids.

We isolated a novel strain of the microalga Tetraedron minimum in Iceland from a terrestrial habitat. During long-term cultivation, a dish culture turned orange, indicating the presence of secondary pigments. Thus, we characterized T. minimum for growth and possible carotenoid production in different inorganic media. In a lab-scale photobioreactor, we confirmed that nitrogen starvation in combination with salt stress triggered a secondary carotenoid accumulation. The development of the pigment composition and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts was analyzed throughout the cultivations. The final secondary carotenoid composition was, on average, 61.1% astaxanthin and 38.9% adonixanthin. Moreover, the cells accumulated approx. 83.1% unsaturated fatty acids. This work presents the first report of the formation of secondary carotenoids within the family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta).

Biochemical and molecular factors governing flesh-color development in two yellow-fleshed kiwifruit cultivars

To identify the biochemical and molecular factors causing flesh-color variation between two yellow-flesh kiwifruit cultivars 'Jinshi 1′ and 'Jinyan', the composition of carotenoids and chlorophyll, and associated gene expression profile in their pulp were investigated during fruit development. At harvest, ‘Jinshi 1′ exhibited brighter yellow flesh than ‘Hort16A’ with a lower color hue angle, although they had a similar total carotenoid content. At the molecular level, ‘Jinshi 1′ exhibited higher expression level of chlorophyll catabolic genes (CBR, PPH, and PAO), leading to lower accumulation of chlorophyll in the flesh. Meanwhile, higher expression levels of NCED1 resulted in greater carotenoid degradation in ‘Hort16A’. In addition, ‘Hort16A’ had a higher content of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene, whereas ‘Jinshi 1′ had specific β-cryptoxanthin on ripening, accordingly, the expression of CHYB1, which encodes the enzyme for the formation of zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin, was higher during the last developmental stage in ‘Jinshi 1′ than in ‘Hort16A’. These results suggested that the higher carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio, as well as the higher β-cryptoxanthin proportion are the important reasons for the brighter yellow flesh color.