Microwaving tomatillos results in the partial destruction of the beta-carotene and lutein. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Effect of cooking processes on the contents of two bioactive carotenoids in Solanum lycopersicum tomatoes and Physalis ixocarpa and Physalis philadelphica tomatillos.
Molecules. 2007;12(8):1829-35. Epub 2007 Aug 13. PMID: 17960090
Centro de Química, Instituto de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal J-55, 72571 Puebla, Pue. Mexico. [email protected]
Calculation of the HPLC chromatographic retention times of different carotenoids supported our improved chromatographic separation of beta-carotene and lutein in four tomatoes and two tomatillo varieties in fresh form and after three different cooking procedures: pot boiling, cooking in a pressure cooker and microwaving. A good separation was achieved experimentally using an Ultrasphere ODS column and gradient elution with an acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran-water mobile phase. It was shown that diverse tomato species contained different amounts of beta-carotene (6-400 microg/100 mg) and lutein (2-30 microg/100 mg). The concentration in fresh samples was higher than in cooked tomatoes. The beta-carotene content in fresh tomatillo varied between 2 and 20 microg/100 mg. Microwaving caused partial destruction of the beta-carotene and lutein in tomatillos.