Retention levels of vegetable extractable beta-carotene preserved in virgin coconut oil and unadulterated honey

Abstract

Dark green leafy vegetables such as Amaranthus spp. are known to be good sources of beta -carotene, a pro-vitamin A carotenoid with highly potent antioxidant property. As an antioxidant, beta-carotene scavenges for electron and thus terminates chain reactions, prevents recurrence and formation of unstable oxygen which otherwise initiate a chain reaction leading to such cases as cancer. While beta-carotene is supplied from consuming vegetables to provide vitamin A, it is also given as a supplement in cases of deficiency. However, it is highly degraded in the presence of light, heat, and oxygen posing a challenge to the methods of its preservation. Coconut oil and honey are popularly consumed in many countries facing vitamin A deficiency as good antioxidants and yet their role in preservation is largely unknown. The study reports the retention of betacarotene extracted from Amaranthus spp. and separately preserved in virgin coconut oil (VCO) and unadulterated honey for up to six months. HPLC and DPPH assay were used to determine beta-carotene and antioxidant activity respectively. Virgin coconut oil and honey had significantly different (p<0.001) antioxidant activities of 65.12±0.70 and 81.51±1.39 % radical scavenging activity respectively that compared well with those of BHT and ascorbic acid. The concentration of beta-carotene preserved in VCO and unadulterated honey degraded by 90%, though the final retention provided higher than the recommended daily allowance of retinol (0.216±0.001 and 0.312±0.003 retinol activity equivalent respectively) when 100 mg is consumed. Virgin coconut oil and unadulterated honey can preserve beta-carotene if high amounts are used.

Fortification of sunflower and palm oils using beta carotene extracted from Asystasia mysorensis and Solanum nigrum

“…We visualized extraction of the carotenoid and its fortification in various matrices as mitigation to its degradation. In a similar study, Mungai et al (2017) reported a 10% retention of beta carotene extracted from Amaranthus spp and preserved in virgin coconut oil and unadulterated honey for 180 days. The study recommended an increase in the amounts of BC in the fortification matrices for higher retentions.…”