1Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh -160 019, India
2Regional Horticulture Research Station, Bajaura, Distt Kullu, Himachal Pradesh - 175 125, India
3Department of Food Science and Technology, Dr YSParmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh – 173 230, India
*E mail: drrakes@gmail.com
Online published on 24 December, 2014.
Efforts were made to optimize the conditions for storage of carotenoids extracted from citrus peel. The crude carotenoids pigment was treated with different antioxidants viz. butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) @ 0.015 per cent, ascorbic acid @ 500 ppm, tertiary butylhudroquinone (TBHQ) @ 0.02 per cent and potassium metabisulphite (KMS) @ 1000 ppm and packed in transparent glass vials (TGV) as well as amber glass vials (AGV) and stored at ambient and refrigerated temperature for a period of 90 days. During storage, it was found that BHT treated sample had remained higher carotenoids content (192.6 mg/g) even after 90 days of storage than those treated with KMS and ascorbic acid (186.4 and 182.5 mg/g), respectively. Further, the crude carotenoids pigment packed in AGV and stored under refrigerated temperature had retained significantly higher carotenoids content and tintometer reading (yellow and red units) compared to those packed in TGV which were stored at ambient temperature. Conclusively, carotenoids extracted from citrus peel treated with BHT@0.015%, packed in AGV and stored under refrigerated temperature were optimized.
Citrus peel, carotenoids, temperature, antioxidants, storage, packaging material
