CAROTENOIDS AND PROVITAMIN-A ACTIVITY OF CARROT (DAUCUS-CAROTA L) CULTIVARS

The carotenoid and provitamin A content of 19 cultivars of orange carrot (Daucus carota L.) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The amounts of the predominant carotenoids, α- and β-carotene, ranged from 2200 to 4900 and from 4600 to 10 300 μg/100 g of fresh weight, respectively. High α- and β-carotene contents were found especially in carrot cultivars Nantes Duke Notabene 370, Nantes Fancy Notabene 405, Narbonne F1BZ, Nelson F1BZ, Nantucket F1BZ, and Berlicum R. The tentatively identified 15-cis-β-carotene accounted for approximately 4.3% (range 1.3-12.9%) of the amount of all-trans-β-carotene. All carrot cultivars contained γ-carotene (range 630-2700 μg/100 g of fresh weight). Also, lutein (110-560 μg/100 g of fresh weight) was present. Expressed as retinol equivalents (RE, μg/100 g), the amount of provitamin A in carrot cultivars was between 1200 and 2300, an amount high enough to satisfy the human daily need of vitamin A. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.