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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403601
Research Project: USDA National Nutrient Databank for Food Composition

Location: Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory

Title: Evaluation of postharvest handling and domestic cooking on carotenoids in sweet corn

Author
item Whent, Monica
item HUANG, JHONGYAN - University Of Maryland
item CHILDS, HOLLY - University Of Maryland
item SLAVIN, MARGARET - University Of Maryland
item Harrison, Dawn
item Novotny, Janet
item YU, LIANGLI - University Of Maryland
item Pehrsson, Pamela
item Wu, Xianli

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2023
Publication Date: 4/6/2023
Citation: Whent, M.M., Huang, J., Childs, H., Slavin, M., Harrison, D.J., Novotny Dura, J., Yu, L., Pehrsson, P.R., Wu, X. 2023. Evaluation of postharvest handling and domestic cooking on carotenoids in sweet corn. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 71:6133-6143. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00584.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00584

Interpretive Summary: Sweet corn is a rich source of dietary carotenoids. In this study, the effects of postharvest handling and cooking on carotenoids in sweet corn were investigated. The fresh bi-color sweet corn was harvested from the field, which was processed into the samples that represented the two major retail types (farmers market and grocery store) and two cooking methods (boiling and steaming). Both free and bound forms of carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC and LC-MS. Nine carotenoids were identified with lutein and zeaxanthin being the predominant ones. The postharvest handling and cooking either did not change or reduced the free carotenoids, but increased the total bound carotenoids. The total carotenoids in all processed samples were not altered or slightly decreased. The percentages of total bound carotenoids in total carotenoids increased in all processed and cooked samples. The changes of individual carotenoids depended on the processing/cooking methods and the chemical structures.

Technical Abstract: Sweet corn is a rich source of dietary carotenoids. In this study, the effects of postharvest handling and cooking on carotenoids in sweet corn were investigated. The fresh bi-color sweet corn was harvested from the field, which was processed into the samples that represented the two major retail types (farmers market and grocery store) and two cooking methods (boiling and steaming). Both free and bound forms of carotenoids were analyzed by HPLC and LC-MS. Nine carotenoids were identified with lutein and zeaxanthin being the predominant ones. The postharvest handling and cooking either did not change or reduced the free carotenoids, but increased the total bound carotenoids. The total carotenoids in all processed samples were not altered or slightly decreased. The percentages of total bound carotenoids in total carotenoids increased in all processed and cooked samples. The changes of individual carotenoids depended on the processing/cooking methods and the chemical structures.