Detection and analysis of carotenoid pigments in pummelo (Citrus grandis cv. Melomas) fruit peel using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography

K. Mohd. Safidin, V. Maheswary and H. Marzukhi

Abstract

A total of 21 carotenoid pigments were separated from the 3-month saponified pummelo Citrus grandis cv. Melomas peel using a C-30 reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) column. Lutein was the major yellow pigment (xanthophyll) detected, followed by β- and α-carotenes while lycopene, zeaxanthin and isolutein were detected as minor pigments only. Lutein was also the major pigment detected throughout all the developmental stages until maturity while lycopene and zeaxanthin could only be detected as minor pigments in this 3-month-old fruit peel. Analysis showed that there was a progressive decrease in the total carotenoid content during fruit development. The failure to form orange peel colour could probably be due to the absence of orange pigments, β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, during the ripening stage.

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