title: Retention of total carotenoid and β-carotene in yellow sweet cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) after domestic cooking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last decade, considerable efforts have been made to identify cassava cultivars to improve the vitamin A nutritional status of undernourished populations, especially in northeast Brazil, where cassava is one of the principal and essentially only nutritional source.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the total carotenoid, β-carotene, and its all-E-, 9-, and 13-Z-β-carotene isomers content in seven yellow sweet cassava roots and their retention after three boiling cooking methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total carotenoid, β-carotene, and its all-E-, 9-, and 13-Z-β-carotene isomers in yellow sweet cassava samples were determined by ultraviolet/visible spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively, before and after applying the cooking methods. All analyses were performed in triplicate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total carotenoid in raw roots varied from 2.64 to 14.15 µg/g and total β-carotene from 1.99 to 10.32 µg/g. The β-carotene predominated in all the roots. The Híbrido 2003 14 08 cultivar presented the highest β-carotene content after cooking methods 1 and 3. The 1153 - Klainasik cultivar presented the highest 9-Z-β-carotene content after cooking by method 3. The highest total carotenoid retention was observed in cultivar 1456 - Vermelhinha and that of β-carotene for the Híbrido 2003 14 11 cultivar, both after cooking method 1. Evaluating the real retention percentage (RR%) in sweet yellow cassava after home cooking methods showed differences that can be attributed to the total initial carotenoid contents. However, no cooking method uniformly provided a higher total carotenoid or β-carotene retention in all the cultivars.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences were found in the cooking methods among the samples regarding total carotenoid or β-carotene retention, suggesting that the different behaviors of the cultivars need to be further analyzed. However, high percentages of total carotenoid or β-carotene retention were observed and can minimize vitamin A deficiency in low-income populations.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy College, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucia M J
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Alcides R G
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Ronoel L O
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Marília R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nutti
authors.forename: José L V
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Elenilda J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Wânia G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Fukuda