PRODUCTION OF VITAMIN A FROM CARROT

ABSTRACT

Vitamin A production from the carrot involves the extraction and encapsulation of the beta carotene content of the carrot. Beta-carotene is the dominant carotenoid in carrot amounting up to 80% of the total carotenoid content of carrots. which is aimed at improving the shelf life or storage quality and also the bioavailability of the beta-carotene content of carrot with the application of techniques and principles that enabled the separation of the beta-carotene content from the matrix of related carotenoids and other constituents of the carrot, Two varieties of carrot were used as samples, 2.5kg of each variety and were subjected to the extraction process. The carrot samples were cut into small fragments washed  and oven dried at 60c for a period of four days before extracting the carotene content using sohxlet extraction method which gave a total carotenoid yield for the carrot varieties yellow stone and Nantes as 27.5g and 24.5g respectively.  The beta carotene contents which is the dominant carotenoid in carrots was isolated from the mix of other carotenoids and related compounds with the use of column chromatography. Petroleum ether was used as the solvent of extraction while silica gel of mesh size (70- 230um) served as   the solid medium, The eluted beta-carotene from both samples had an absorbance of 0.638nm and 0.635nm for Nantes and yellow stone and concentrations of 3.20 mg and 3.15mg respectively.   Beta-carotene   known to be a highly unstable hydrocarbon compound when exposed to heat, light and air, and therefore requires a packaging system which will not only act to improve its stability or shelf life but also serve as its vehicle of delivery, hence the encapsulation with a matrix made up of corn starch 30%, gelatin 10% and gum 5% which also improves its solubility.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO 

LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER THREE 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

References