title: Carotenoids and carotenoid esters in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.): new insights into an ancient vegetable.
abstract: The carotenoid pattern of four yellow- and four white-fleshed potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.), common on the German market, was investigated using HPLC and LC(APCI)-MS for identification and quantification of carotenoids. In each case, the carotenoid pattern was dominated by violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which were present in different ratios, whereas neoxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta,beta-carotene generally are only minor constituents. In contrast to literature data, antheraxanthin was found to be the only carotenoid epoxide present in native extracts. The total concentration of the four main carotenoids reached 175 microg/100 g, whereas the sum of carotenoid esters accounted for 41-131 microg/100 g. Therefore, carotenoid esters are regarded as quantitatively significant compounds in potatoes. For LC(APCI)-MS analyses of carotenoid esters, a two-stage cleanup procedure was developed, involving column chromatography on silica gel and enzymatic cleavage of residual triacylglycerides by lipases. This facilitated the direct identification of several potato carotenoid esters without previous isolation of the compounds. Although the unequivocal identification of all parent carotenoids was not possible, the cleanup procedure proved to be highly efficient for LC(APCI)-MS analyses of very low amounts of carotenoid esters.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 28, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany. breithau@uni-hohenheim.de
authors.forename: Dietmar E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Breithaupt
authors.forename: Ameneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bamedi
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D014975:Lutein / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000032:analysis; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D004952:Esters; D014280:Triglycerides; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; C031140:antheraxanthin; D002338:Carotenoids; C005613:violaxanthin; D008049:Lipase; D014975:Lutein