XANTHOPHYLL AND CAROTENE STORAGE STABILITY IN COMMERCIALLY DEHYDRATED AND FREEZE-DRIED ALFALFA

Alfalfa commercially dehydrated to yield meals with different moisture contents and freeze-dried alfalfa were subjected to accelerated storage conditions and analyzed for xanthophylls and carotene at periods extending to 12 weeks. Individual xanthophylls were determined by thin-layer chromatography. Meals which had undergone the lowest losses during dehydration suffered the highest losses during storage. Freeze-dried samples were the most stable. Ethoxyquin treatment reduced oxidative losses but isomerization losses of neoxanthin and violaxanthin continued. © 1968, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.