Table 2.
Carotenoid content and composition (µg g-1 FW) in the pulp of Valencia and Ruby at six different stages of fruit development and maturation.
| Carotenoids (µg g-1 FW) | Valencia | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | July | September | October | January | April | |
| Phytoene | traces | traces | 0.03 ± 0.01* | traces | traces | nd |
| Phytofluene | nd | traces | 0.15 ± 0.05* | nd | nd | nd |
| ζ-carotene | nd | nd | nd | nd | traces | 0.09 ± 0.01* |
| Neurosporene | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd |
| Lycopene | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd |
| δ-carotene | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd |
| Lutein | 0.08 ± 0.01* | nd | nd | nd | nd | 1.18 ± 0.47 |
| β-carotene | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd | nd |
| A + Z | nd | nd | nd | 0.09 ± 0.01 | 0.94 ± 0.04* | 3.87 ± 0.05* |
| Violaxanthin | 0.50 ± 0.03* | nd | nd | 0.40 ± 0.01* | 5.18 ± 0.01* | 7.59 ± 0.10* |
| Other xanthophylls | 0.18 ± 0.03 | nd | nd | 0.15 ± 0.17 | 0.98 ± 0.33 | 2.81 ± 0.78* |
| Total carotenoids | 0.81 ± 0.18* | traces | 0.18 ± 0.01* | 0.69 ± 0.13* | 7.10 ± 0.89* | 15.45 ± 1.91* |
| Carotenoids (µg g-1 FW) | Ruby | |||||
| June | July | September | October | January | April | |
| Phytoene | 17.76 ± 2.45 | 53.07 ± 3.58 | 65.7 ± 2.33 | 72.44 ± 0.59 | 87.15 ± 6.27 | 124.24 ± 0.95 |
| Phytofluene | 1.21 ± 0.21 | 4.6 ± 0.7 | 7.64 ± 1.14 | 10.94 ± 0.38 | 14.55 ± 0.37 | 24.48 ± 0.46 |
| ζ-carotene | nd | nd | 0.07 ± 0.03 | nd | 0.20 ± 0.01 | 1.24 ± 0.05 |
| Neurosporene | nd | 0.18 ± 0.02 | 0.53 ± 0.03 | 1.03 ± 0.14 | 0.63 ± 0.14 | 2.64 ± 0.01 |
| Lycopene | traces | 0.40 ± 0.02 | 0.17 ± 0.09 | 1.17 ± 0.21 | 2.90 ± 0.69 | 9.95 ± 3.05 |
| δ-carotene | nd | 0.05 ± 0.01 | nd | nd | 0.28 ± 0.09 | 1.05 ± 0.03 |
| Lutein | 0.31 ± 0.01 | nd | 0.15 ± 0.03 | 0.29 ± 0.012 | 0.32 ± 0.41 | 0.87 ± 0.57 |
| β-carotene | nd | nd | nd | 0.38 ± 0.01 | 0.24 ± 0.05 | 1.60 ± 0.01 |
| A + Z | nd | nd | nd | 0.09 ± 0.01 | 0.77 ± 0.05 | 3.52 ± 0.04 |
| Violaxanthin | 0.85 ± 0.01 | nd | nd | 0.12 ± 0.02 | 2.40 ± 0.22 | 4.10 ± 0.02 |
| Other xanthophylls | 0.18 ± 0.02 | nd | nd | nd | 0.35 ± 0.21 | 1.01 ± 0.19 |
| Total carotenoids | 20.36 ± 7.58 | 58.30 ± 3.51 | 74.26 ± 2.23 | 86.46 ± 0.21 | 109.79 ± 3.89 | 174.70 ± 5.34 |
A+Z is the sum of antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin. Violaxanthin is the sum of all E-violaxanthin, 9-Z-violaxanthin and luteoxanthin. Other xanthophylls are the sum of α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, neoxanthin and non-identified xanthophylls ( Table S2 ). Nd, no detected. Traces indicates concentrations lower than 0.05 μg g-1. Data are the mean of three biological replicates ± SD. Asterisks indicate significant differences between Valencia and Ruby varieties by unpaired Student’s t-test (p<0.05).