45H-9

Carotenoids are natural colorants and antioxidants of plant origin. Enzyme treatments generally improve the carotenoids extractability in different products like marigold flowers. In carrots, carotenoids extractability increased when they were thermally processed in the presence of different concentrations of acetic acid and sodium chloride.

Our objective was to study the effect of sodium chloride, acetic acid and different enzymes on the extractability of the carotenoids of carrots.

Carrot slices (17 mm diameter and 4 mm high) were immersed in various solutions of sodium chloride (0.6 and 1.2 M) and acetic acid (1.33, 2.67 and 4%) for 5, 10, 20 and 30 min. They were also treated with the enzymes carbohydrase (a mixture of cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase and pectinesterase), lipase and protease alone and in combination for 1, 3, 6 and 9 h.

The treatment with 0.6 M NaCl improved the extractability of α-carotene and ß-carotene. Acetic acid also showed a positive effect on carotenoid extraction and the 4% concentration had the maximal extractability for α-carotene and ß-carotene. The assays with enzymes showed that the main interactions of α-carotene and ß-carotene are with the complex carbohydrates (fiber). The treatments with the combination of enzymes showed a synergic effect in all cases for α-carotene and ß-carotene extraction.

The study of the complexes of the carotenoids with the compounds present in the plant matrixes provides information about the use of different treatments to increase the extractability and bioavailability of these important antioxidant compounds.