Tocopherol and carotenoid contents of selected Korean fruits and vegetables

The tocopherol (α-, γ-, and δ-) and carotenoid (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene) contents of seven raw fruits and 14 raw or processed (cooked or fermented) vegetables commonly consumed by young children in Kwangju, Republic of Korea, were determined using reversed-phase HPLC. All samples were obtained from three different locations (households or local markets) in Kwangju during summer, 2005. All fruits and vegetables in this study had detectable quantities of α-tocopherol, while many had detectable quantities of γ- and δ-tocopherols. β-carotene was contained in all samples except cooked bracken. Except for sweet potato, all fruits and vegetables contained lutein. β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene were not detected in any of the cooked vegetables in this study. Also, none of the fermented vegetables (kimchi) had detectable levels of zeaxanthin and lycopene. The findings of this study may be valuable for use in Korean and other food composition databases.