Carotenoid extraction using edible vegetable oil: an enriched provitamin A product

Borguini, Renata GalhardoPacheco, SidneyChávez, Davy William HidalgoCouto, Giovana AlmeidaWilhelm, Allan EduardoSantiago, Manuela Cristina Pessanha de AraújoNascimento, Luzimar da Silva de Mattos doJesus, Monalisa Santana Coelho deGodoy, Ronoel Luiz de Oliveira

Vitamin A deficiency is the third most important micronutrient deficiency having a significant impact on public health worldwide. The aim of this study was to develop a carotenoid extraction process with edible vegetable oils, using a central composite design which, concurrently, enriches the oils with provitamin A carotenoids. The stability of carotenoids in the oil and their shelf life was also evaluated. The process also aimed to meet the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A (600 g retinol equivalent for an adult) with the enriched oil. The results showed that 20 % of the vegetable matrix (dried carrot) in vegetable oil and 5 min of extraction time was an optimum combination for both soy oil (64.43 μg retinol equivalent mL-¹) and olive oil (62.98 μg retinol equivalent mL-¹). Furthermore, the ingestion of just a spoonful (~10 mL) of the enriched oils would meet the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A (600 μg retinol equivalent), and, thus, it was possible to affirm that a dose of vegetable oils enriched with provitamin A contributes to meeting the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A. The proposed process is based on simple and low-cost technology that can be used to enrich edible oils (soybean and olive oil) with provitamin A.(AU)

1. carotenoid stability
2. retinol
3. oil shelf life
4. central composite design
5. food-to-food fortification