Flesh colour as an indicator of total carotenoid concentration and the vitamin A precursor, beta-carotene in mangoes

Abstract

Mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) can vary in flesh colour with it ranging from creamy-yellow to deep orange. The principal flesh pigment in mango is all-trans beta carotene, an orange carotenoid compound. This study reports the impact of the total carotenoid and all-trans beta-carotene concentrations on the final flesh colour of mangoes. A total of 27 cultivars of mangoes were objectively measured for their flesh colour (hue angle and chroma) and their corresponding carotenoid profile were determined using an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array assay (UHPLC-DAD). It was observed that orange cultivars (low hue angle) tended to have greater total carotenoid concentration and this relationship when plotted demonstrated an exponential decline in carotenoid content as hue angle increased. The chroma also presented an exponential relationship indicating a rise in total carotenoid as the chroma increased, however, a stronger relationship was apparent in the hue angle and total carotenoid. The all-trans beta-carotene also showed similar relationships in both the hue angle and chroma, as it is the principal carotenoid in mangoes. The results of the study showed that the hue angle and chroma has the potential to be an indicator of both the total carotenoid and all-trans beta-carotene concentrations.