The major and minor carotenoids from six fruits, buriti (Mauritia vinifera), mamey (Mammea americana), marimari (Geoffrola striata), peach palm (Bactrys gasipaes), physalis (Physalis angulata), and tucuma (Astrocaryum aculeatum), all native to the Amazonia region, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector-mass spectrometry detector (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS), fulfilling the recommended criteria for identification. A total of 60 different carotenoids were separated on a C30 column, all-trans-beta-carotene being the major carotenoid found in all fruits. The presence of apo-10'-beta-carotenol, found in mamey, was not previously reported in foods. In addition, this is the first time that the identification of beta-zeacarotene in natural sources is supported by MS data. The total carotenoid content ranged from 38 microg/g in marimari to 514 microg/g in buriti. All fruits analyzed can be considered good sources of provitamin A, especially buriti, with 7280 RE/100 g.

The carotenoid composition of mangoes produced in Brazil was determined by HPLC to appraise the effects of some influencing factors. Total carotenoid rose from 12.3 to 38.0 µg/g in the cultivar Keitt and from 17.0 to 51.2 µg/g in the cultivar Tommy Atkins from the mature-green to the ripe stage. Ripening alterations occurred principally in the major carotenoids, violaxanthin and beta-carotene. In the Keitt mangoes, all-trans-beta-carotene, all-trans-violaxanthin, and 9-cis-violaxanthin (location of cis double bond tentative) increased from 1.7, 5.4, and 1.7 µg/g in the mature-green fruits to 6.7, 18.0, and 7.2 µg/g, respectively, in the ripe fruits. In the Tommy Atkins cultivar, these carotenoids went from 2.0, 6.9, and 3.3 µg/g to 5.8, 22.4, and 14.5 µg/g, respectively, on ripening. In both cultivars, the small amount of 13-cis-violaxanthin practically disappeared on ripening. Geographic effects appeared to be substantial. In commercially processed mango juice, violaxanthin was not detected, auroxanthin appeared at an appreciable level, and beta-carotene became the principal carotenoid.

Fruits from the Atlantic Forest have received increasing interest because they contain high levels of bioactive compounds with notable functional properties. The composition of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from fruits found in the Atlantic Forest (jussara, uvaia, araça, and grumixama) was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometry detectors. Uvaia showed the highest levels of carotenoids (1306.6 μg/100 g fresh matter (f.m.)). Gallic acid was the major phenolic compound in araça (12.2 mg GAE/100 g f.m.) and uvaia (27.5 mg GAE/100 g f.m.). In grumixama, eight quercetin derivatives were found; the main carotenoids included all-trans-β-cryptoxanthin (286.7 μg/100 g f.m.) and all-trans-lutein (55.5 μg/100 g f.m.). Uvaia and grumixama contain high amounts of carotenoids, while jussara showed greater levels of phenolic compounds (415 mg GAE/100 g f.m.), particularly anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-rutinoside: 179.60 mg/100 g f.m.; cyanidin 3-glucoside: 47.93 mg/100 g f.m.).

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Anthocyanins and carotenoids are natural pigments responsible for the color of vegetables and fruits, and they are also bioactive compounds, both demonstrating important biological, therapeutic, and preventative properties. Considering the biodiversity of edible fruits, high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS) was used to establish the composition of carotenoids and anthocyanins from dovyalis and tamarillo fruits. Ten anthocyanins and 26 carotenoids were found in dovyalis, whereas tamarillo showed 3 anthocyanins and 17 carotenoids. Higher contents of anthocyanins and carotenoids were found in dovyalis, 42.0 and 6.6 mg/100 g, respectively, as compared to tamarillo fruits with 8.5 and 4.4 mg/100 g, respectively. Although these fruits belong to different families, delphinidin 3-rutinoside and beta-cryptoxanthin were found to be, respectively, the major anthocyanin and carotenoid in both fruits.

Ripening affects the quality and nutritional contents of fleshy fruits, and papayas are climacteric fruits very susceptible to postharvest losses due to the fast softening caused by ethylene. This paper reports the changes in respiration, ethylene production, and pulp color and firmness, along with the contents of soluble sugars and major carotenoids, during ripening of 'Golden' papaya, an important Brazilian cultivar that has been exported to North American and European markets. The results obtained for nontreated and ethylene- or 1-MCP-treated papaya suggest that 1-MCP can decrease the quality of treated fruit and that even the use of ethylene for triggering or inducing homogeneous ripening can result in lower quality when compared to that of fruit allowed to ripe naturally.

The composition of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from jambolão fruits (Syzygium cumini) was determined by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS. Two main carotenoids were found in the fruits, all-trans-lutein (43.7%) and all-trans-β-carotene (25.4%). The anthocyanin composition was characterised by the presence of 3,5-diglucosides of five out of six aglycones commonly found in foods. This pattern was also observed for the other flavonoids, since diglucosides of dihydromyricetin, methyl-dihydromyricetin and dimethyl-dihydromyricetin, along with myricetin glucoside and a galloyl-glucose ester were identified. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of a functional extract rich in anthocyanins was evaluated through the scavenging capacities of ABTS(+) and peroxyl radical (ORAC) and the protective effect against singlet oxygen ((1)O2). The TEAC values indicated that the hemiacetals/chalcones and quinonoidal bases species (pH⩾5) possess higher scavenging capacity as compared to the flavylium cation (pH<3). The functional extract also showed 60% of dimethylanthracene protection against (1)O2 and an ORAC value of 16.4μmolTrolox/gfruit.

Carotenoids are widespread lipophilic pigments synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and some nonphotosynthetic fungi and bacteria. All carotenoids are derived from the C40 isoprenoid precursor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, and their chemical and physical properties are associated with light absorption, free radical scavenging, and antioxidant activity. Carotenoids are generally synthesized in well defined subcellular organelles, the plastids, which are also present in the phylum Apicomplexa, which comprises a number of important human parasites, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Recently, it was demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii synthesizes abscisic acid. We therefore asked if Plasmodium falciparum is also capable of synthesizing carotenoids. Herein, biochemical findings demonstrated the presence of carotenoid biosynthesis in the intraerythrocytic stages of the apicomplexan parasite P. falciparum. Using metabolic labeling with radioisotopes, in vitro inhibition tests with norflurazon, a specific inhibitor of plant carotenoid biosynthesis, the results showed that intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum synthesize carotenoid compounds. A plasmodial enzyme that presented phytoene synthase activity was also identified and characterized. These findings not only contribute to the current understanding of P. falciparum evolution but shed light on a pathway that could serve as a chemotherapeutic target.