Carotenoids from new apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) varieties and their relationship with flesh and skin color

Thirty-seven apricot varieties, including four new releases (Rojo Pasion, Murciana, Selene, and Dorada) obtained from different crosses between apricot varieties and three traditional Spanish cultivars (Currot, Mauricio, and Bulida), were separated according to flesh color into four groups. The L-star, a(star), b(star), hue angle, and chroma color measurements on the skin and flesh as well as other quality indices including flesh firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH were plotted against the total carotenoid content measured by HPLC. Among the 37 apricot varieties, the total carotenoid content ranged from 1512 to 16500 mu g 100 g(-1) of edible portion, with beta-carotene as the main pigment followed by beta-cryptoxanthin and gamma-carotene. The wide range of variability in the provitamin A content in the apricot varieties encouraged these studies in order to select the breeding types with enhanced carotenoid levels as the varieties with a higher potential health benefit. The carotenoid content was correlated with the color measurements, and the hue angle in both flesh and peel was the parameter with the best correlation (R = 0.92 and 0.84, respectively). An estimation of the carotenoid content in apricots could be achieved by using a portable colorimeter, as a simple and easy method for field usage applications.