The Carotenoids of the Fruit Pulp of Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) from Hambantota

Abstract

The Hambantota district has relatively new plantations of palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer) and appear to be the future for industrial products from this tree. The tree with morphological type lIB fruit dominates plantations (>90%). Specimens of this type were selected for carotenoid analysis. Total carotenoid content was relatively low; 15.5 to 35.4 mg.l Oug' on the basis of dry weight (DW). Carotenoids were dominated by those of the hydrocarbon type. No oxygenated carotenoids were detected in the petroleum' ether and diethyl ether extracts. Highest contents of carotenoids were phytofluene; from 2.8 to 4.8 mg. IOOg-' DW, phytoene from 5.7 to 10.3 mg.IOOg-'DW and unidentified carotenoids I, II, III and IV from 0.7 to 1.9 mg. 1OOg-' OW, 0.7 to 3.4 mg.l Oug' DW, 4.7 to 16.4 mg.Iuog' DW and 0.6 to 1.1 mg. 1OOg-' DW, respectively. p-Carotene and s-carotene were present in traces. Retinol equivalent (RE)',was negligible. As is usual for palmyrah, lycopene and the right fork of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway were absent.