Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198972
Title: VITAMIN AND MINERAL CONTENT OF TROPICAL FRUIT CULTIVARS GROWN IN HAWAII

Author
item Wall, Marisa

Submitted to: National Nutrient Databank Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/27/2006
Publication Date: 9/18/2006
Citation: Wall, M.M. 2006. Vitamin and mineral content of tropical fruit cultivars grown in Hawaii. 30th National Nutrient Databank Conference, Honolulu, HI. Abstract booklet.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Banana (Musa sp.), papaya (Carica papaya), longan (Dimocarpus longan), lychee (Litchi chinensis), and rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) cultivars were harvested from different locations throughout Hawaii and analyzed for vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and mineral content. Bananas and papayas also were analyzed for provitamin A ( beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin) content. Dwarf Brazilian (“apple”) bananas had almost three times more vitamin C (12.70 mg/100 g fresh weight) and 1.5 times more provitamin A (12.44 micrograms RAE/100 g) than Williams fruit (4.45 mg/100 g and 8.15 micrograms RAE/100 g). Dwarf Brazilian bananas had higher P, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn contents than Williams fruit. The average K content for Hawaii’s bananas was 330.6 mg/100 g. Papaya vitamin C content was 51.2 mg/100g, with no differences among cultivars. Provitamin A content for papayas averaged 44.1 micrograms RAE/100 g, and ranged from 18.7 to 74.0 micrograms RAE/100 g. Lycopene was not detected in the yellow-fleshed cultivars, Kapoho, Laie Gold, and Rainbow, but the red-fleshed Sunrise and SunUp contained 1350 to 3674 micrograms lycopene per 100 g. Papayas (100 g) contained 9% of the DRI for Cu, 6-8% of the DRI for Mg, but less than 3% of the DRI for other minerals. Longan fruit had the highest vitamin C content (60.1 mg/100 g) among the specialty fruit tested. Average ascorbic acid content was 27.6 mg/100 g for lychees and 36.4 mg/100 g for rambutans. Vitamin C content was 63.3 mg/100g and 55.3 mg/100 g for the longan cultivars, Biew Kiew and Sri Chompoo, respectively. The early maturing lychee cultivar, Kaimana, had an average ascorbic acid content of 33.2 mg/100 g, and the later maturing, Groff and Bosworth-3, cultivars had 21.2 and 22.5 mg/100 g, respectively. For rambutans, vitamin C content ranged from 22.0 to 47.8 mg/100 g for the six cultivars tested. Longans were a good source of K (324.9 mg/100 g) and Cu (0.26 mg/100 g). Consumption of lychee fruit (100 g) would meet 2-4% of the DRI for six minerals (P, K, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn), and 22% of the DRI for Cu. Rambutan fruit had 20% of the DRI for Cu and 8-10% of the DRI for Mn.