The objective was to evaluate by HPLC qualitative and quantitative carotenoids pulp composition of passion fruit. Fruits coming from native accessions of four Cerrado passion fruit species (Passiflora cincinnata, P. nitida, P. setacea and P. edulis) were analyzed using commercial passion fruit (P. edulis) as reference. Passion fruit pulps showed neoxanthin, violaxanthin, cis-violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, prolycopene, poli-cis-carotene, cis-ζ-carotene, trans-ζ-carotene, trans-β-carotene, 13-cis-β-carotene and phytofluene. In general, carotenoids content were significantly different among species and among accessions of the same species. P. edulis species showed greater number of carotenoids with differences among accessions. In one commercial passion fruit accession trans-β-carotene was the major carotenoid (7.8±0.8 µg g-1) and other was trans-ζ-carotene (11.4±0.4 µg g-1). Two accessions of P. edulis native from the Cerrado showed cis-ζ-carotene like the major carotenoid (6.28±0.15 µg g-1 and 12.1±0.7 µg g-1, yellow peel and purple peel, respectively). Characterization of carotenoids profile in passion fruit species fruits showed diversity of composition with potential use for genetic improvement to add greater value to product and encourage consumption.
Passiflora; biochemistry composition; bioactive compounds; genetic resources
