Tocopherols in rose hips (Rosa spp.) during ripening.
BACKGROUND
Rose hips are used as a food ingredient and in health products. They are rich in various bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and vitamin C, but data on their vitamin E content (tocopherols and tocotrienols) are limited. In this study, four different species of Rosa were analysed for tocopherol and tocotrienol content during ripening in three different years.


RESULTS
Only α- and γ-tocopherol were found in the fleshy parts of the rose hips, and the tocopherol content and vitamin E activity varied depending on date of harvesting, species and year. The amount of vitamin E activity differed between species of Rosa and years, whereas the changes during ripening were relatively small.


CONCLUSIONS
The choice of species must be considered if tocopherol content is to be optimised when rose hips are used as a food ingredient.
Department of Horticulture, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 103, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden. Staffan.Andersson@slu.se
Staffan C
SC
Andersson
Marie E
ME
Olsson
Karl-Erik
KE
Gustavsson
Eva
E
Johansson
Kimmo
K
Rumpunen
D004032:Diet; D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D027826:Rosa / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism*; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism*
D014810:Vitamin E; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol