Extraction And Characterization Of Mopanshi Persimmon Fruit Pigment

Yellow pigment of persimmon (Diospyros kaki. cv. Mopanshi) fruits were extracted by ethanol. A study was conducted to determine the best extraction condition. The conditions included: extraction temperature: 60℃, extraction time :75min, material rate: 65:5 (ml:g) ,crush method : homogenizing organ 5min. The pigment extraction ratio was 0.21%.A study was conducted to determine the stability of the pigment. Under the condition of prevention sunlight, lower than 100℃ for 2h or pH 6~11, the stability of the pigment could maintain. High concentration Fe2+, Fe3+ would affect the stability of the pigment. Normal food additives in permitted usage level would not affect the stability of the pigment.The spectrophotometer charomatogram of the pigment indicated that there was a absorption peak at 448nm. This indicated that the major compositions were carotenoids. A procedure for composition analysis of major carotenoids and carotenoid esters using TLC were conducted. There were seven spots in the TLC profiles of carotenoids of Mopanshi fruit pulp and peel, and after saponification there were three spots left. This indicated the compositions of pigment of fruit pulp and peel were sameness , and there were not less than seven compositions in the yellow pigment of Mopanshi fruits. Among them four were carotenoid esters and three were carotenoids.During the growing phase, the content of the carotenoids of Mopanshi fruits increased rapidly, especially during the forth and fifth week since the fruit began to turn yellow. The carotenoids content of the peel was far higher than that of the pulp. When the fruit was ripe and soft, the carotenoids content of the peel and pulp were 5645 ug/100g and 820.4 ug/100g.