Detection of unusual carotenoid esters in fresh mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. 'Kent').
Pott I., Breithaupt D. E., Carle R.
Author Affiliation: Institute for Agricultural Engineering in the Tropics and Subtropics, Hohenheim University, Garbenstrasse 9, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany.
Phytochemistry 64 : 825-829
Abstract : The carotenoid pattern of mango cv. 'Kent' was investigated by LC-(APcI)MS analyses. In solvent extracts from the mesocarp an unusual carotenoid ester was identified as violaxanthin dibutyrate. For unequivocal identification of butyric acid by an independent method, total lipids were isolated by solvent extraction from the fruit flesh and analysed by GC after saponification and subsequent methylation. Thus, evidence of butyric acid (1.6 area %) was provided. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a xanthophyll dibutyrate in plants. Additionally, further carotenoid peaks were tentatively assigned to 9-cis-violaxanthin and neochrom or luteoxanthin, respectively, by their UV/vis and MS data of the saponified extracts.