Carotenoid and Tocopherol Composition of an Orange-colored Carrot as Affected by Water Supply
Carotenoids and tocopherols are important phytonutrients of orange-colored carrots. The main goal of this work was to investigate the effects of irrigation on the content and composition of carotenoids and tocopherols in an orange-colored carrot cultivar (Bangor) compared with a rain-fed control. The experiment was conducted for 2 years with a considerably different amount of precipitation during the growing season (576 mm in 2010 and 190 mm in 2011). Six carotenoids and four tocopherols were detected and quantitatively determined. Significant negative correlations were found between water supply and content of total carotenoids and total tocopherols. Irrigation significantly decreased the concentrations of these phytonutrients during the arid year of 2011. Water supply did not affect the carotenoid and the tocopherol composition, which can be an important factor for functional food manufacturers. A significant positive correlation was found between total carotenoid and total tocopherol concentrations, which is very favorable from a nutritional point of view.