Biochemical Characterization of New Sweet Orange Mutants Rich in Lycopene and β-Carotene Antioxidants.

ABSTRACT: Carotenoid-rich foods such as citrus fruits have a wide range of functions in human health. They primarily exert antioxidant effects, but individual carotenoids may also act through other health-promoting mechanisms such as β-carotene as pro-vitamin A. Here, we show that red-fleshed sweet oranges grown in tropical climates are 4-9 times richer in carotenoids than their orange-fleshed counterparts, regardless of their maturation stage. The most significant difference observed between both varieties was the presence of lycopene at moderate concentrations (around 8 µg/g FW) in the mature pulp of the red varieties, which was absent in the blond ones. This is because the red-fleshed sweet oranges grown in tropical climates with high temperatures increase lycopene and β-carotene concentrations i

SUBMITTER: Carmona L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11351333 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature