title: Degradation of total carotenoids and texture in frozen pumpkins when kept for storage under varying conditions of time and temperature.
abstract: The total carotenoid content and textural properties of pumpkin pieces thermally treated at 55 degrees C, 65 degrees C, 75 degrees C, 85 degrees C and 95 degrees C for different blanch times (3 min, 5 min, and 10 min) and subsequently kept for storage at 0 degrees C, -18 degrees C and -40 degrees C for a period of 80 days were measured. The total carotenoids content increased in the thermally treated pumpkin pieces, the increase being greater at 55 degrees C than at 95 degrees C. Storing the pumpkin pieces caused the total carotenoids content to decrease by 35-40% at 0 degrees C, by 15-20% at -18 degrees C and by 25-30% at -40 degrees C. A low-temperature blanch gave a firmer texture to pumpkin in comparison with high-temperature blanching. The texture of thermally treated pumpkins degraded when kept for storage, the losses being greater at 0 degrees C than at -18 degrees C and -40 degrees C. A split plot analysis was performed to study the effect of the factors on the retention of carotenoids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, National of Institute of Technology, Durgapur, India.
authors.forename: Debjani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.forename: Utpal Ray
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Runu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D028464:Cucurbita / Q000378:metabolism*; D061353:Food Storage / Q000379:methods*; D005615:Freezing; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000592:standards; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids