title: Carotenoid composition and vitamin A value of an Argentinian squash (Cucurbita moschata).
abstract: The carotenoid composition of butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) cultivated in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, was determined. The main carotenoids isolated were identified as beta-carotene (beta,beta-carotene), alpha-carotene (beta,epsilon-carotene), and lutein (beta,epsilon-carotene-3,3'-diol) and the minor carotenoids, as phytofluene (7,8,11,12,7',8'-hexahydro-psi,psi-carotene), zeta-carotene (7,8,7',8'-tetrahydro-psi,psi-carotene), neurosporene (7,8-dihydro-psi,psi-carotene), violaxanthin (5,6,5',6'- diepoxy-5,6,5',6'-tetrahydro-beta,beta-carotene-3,3'-diol) and neoxanthin (5,6-epoxy-6,7-didehydro-5,6,5',6'-tetrahydro-beta,beta- carotene-3,5,3'-triol). In some samples, 5,6,5',6'-beta-carotene diepoxide, (5,6,5',6'-diepoxy-5,6,5',6'-tetrahydro-beta,beta-carotene) and flavoxanthin (5,8-epoxy-5,8-dihydro-beta,epsilon-carotene-3,3'-diol) were detected. The presence of cis-isomers of beta,beta-carotene was also detected by HPLC. The vitamin A value obtained was 432 micrograms RE/100 g fresh sample, which indicates that this vegetable is an important source of provitamin A.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Agronomía y Agroindustrias, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero, República Argentina.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nazareno
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: López de Mishima
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000737:chemistry*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids