Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS) based carotenoid profiling in Indian avocado (Persea americana Mill.)

Authors

  • BM Muralidhara Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • KS Shivashankara Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • T Sakthivel Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • G Karunakaran Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • AN Lokesha Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • G Nayan Deepak Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author
  • MT Chaitra Indian Institute of Horticultural Research image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24154/jhs.v21i1.5282

Keywords:

Accessions, avocado, carotenoids, UPLC-MS, -carotene

Abstract

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.), frequently termed ‘green gold’, experiences high global demand driven by its extensive nutritional and therapeutic benefits. This study evaluated the diversity and profile of total carotenoids across 20 distinct avocado accessions. The evaluated germplasm exhibited substantial variability in total carotenoid content, ranging from 1.6 to 5.8 mg/100 g, with a total of nine specific carotenoids identified. Chromatographic profiling revealed that lutein was the predominant carotenoid (5.25 μg/g), followed sequentially by -carotene (1.84 μg/g), neoxanthin (1.71 μg/g), and violaxanthin (1.55 μg/g). Principal component analysis captured 70.01% of the total variance across the first three components, highlighting pronounced differentiation among the accessions. Correlation analysis demonstrated highly positive relationship between -carotene and -carotene, whereas lutein exhibited a weak negative correlation with chrysanthemaxanthin. Hierarchical cluster analysis categorized the 20 accessions into two primary clusters, confirming significant phenotypic divergence in carotenoid composition. Ultimately, accessions PA-095, PA-078, and PA-069 were identified as superior
lines due to their elevated lutein and -carotene concentrations, marking them as valuable genetic resources for future avocado biofortification and breeding programs.

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Author Biographies

  • BM Muralidhara, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • KS Shivashankara, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • T Sakthivel, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • G Karunakaran, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • AN Lokesha, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • G Nayan Deepak, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

  • MT Chaitra, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

    ICAR-IIHR

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Published

30-06-2026

Data Availability Statement

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Section

Research Papers

How to Cite

Muralidhara, B., Shivashankara, K., Sakthivel, T., Karunakaran, G., Lokesha, A., Nayan Deepak, G., & Chaitra, M. (2026). Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS) based carotenoid profiling in Indian avocado (Persea americana Mill.). Journal of Horticultural Sciences, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.24154/jhs.v21i1.5282