Effects of freezing and canning of papaya slices on their carotenoid composition.

An HPLC study of the carotenoid composition of fresh, frozen and canned papaya fruit slices was done. There were no qualitative differences between the carotenoid patterns of fresh and frozen papaya fruit slices (cultivar Sunrise). The major carotenoids found in papaya extracts were lycopene and carotenol fatty acid esters of beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin-5, 6-epoxide. Other xanthophylls detected were beta-cryptoxanthin, trans-zeaxanthin and cryptoflavin. It was possible to determine the quantitative losses of carotenoids in papaya slices as a result of the freezing process and frozen storage, since samples of these fruits were available before processing. The pigment pattern of the canned product showed lycopene as being a major pigment. Thermal treatment induced the degradation of carotenol fatty acid esters of xanthophylls. The freezing and canning processing of papaya slices led to significant decreases in the total carotenoids quantified by HPLC, with frozen female slices and canned samples showing lower amounts of pigments. Hunter colour values of frozen slices were similar to those of fresh papaya fruit slices.