Profiling of flavonoid compounds in tropical Indian cultivars and their hybrids in carrot (Daucus carota)

The anthocyanins and carotenoids from differently coloured carrot cultivars and their hybrid combinations were determined by using HPLC-DAD and UPC chromatography, respectively. The hybrids were found to have the largest amounts of total anthocyanins and total carotenoids compared with the cultivars. The varietal hybrid ‘Pusa Asita’ × ‘Pusa Rudhira’ (154.8 mg 100 g^‑1) differed significantly with the highest content of anthocyanins among the cultivars and varietal hybrids. The hybrid ‘Pusa Meghali’ × ‘Pusa Rudhira’ (the highest at 14.34 mg 100 g^‑1) differed significantly for lycopene content from the others, whereas hybrid ‘Pusa Asita’ × ‘Pusa Rudhira’ (15.46 mg 100 g^‑1 of β-carotene, 20.01 mg 100 g^‑1 of total carotenoids) differed significantly for the β-carotene and total carotenoids content from the others. The coloured carrot cultivars and varietal hybrids are sources of human nutrition, providing nutritional security and food colourants. Thus, these opportunities can increase the interest of farmers to grow nutra-rich carrots having wide range for industrial food applications.