Effect of high-pressure treatment on the carotenoid composition and the radical scavenging activity of persimmon fruit purees.

The carotenoid composition of persimmon fruit purees of two cultivars, cvs. Rojo Brillante and Sharon, grown in Spain was determined by HPLC to assess the effects of high-pressure processing on some sensory (carotenoids), nutritional (provitamin A value), and health-related (radical-scavenging capacity) parameters. Total carotenoid content was higher in untreated Rojo Brillante puree (22.11 μg g-1) than in untreated Sharon puree (15.22 μg g-1). Purees of both untreated cultivars showed similar carotenoid patterns after saponification with β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin as the main pigments. A high content of lycopene was quantified in Rojo Brillante (5.34 μg g-1), whereas only traces were detected in Sharon. The provitamin A value, reported as retinol equivalents (RE), was in untreated Rojo Brillante puree (77 RE/100 g) similar to that of Sharon (75 RE/100 g). Scavenging free radical capacity, measured as antiradical efficiency (AE), showed in untreated Rojo Brillante puree a value (12.14 × 1...