SCREENING OF SELECTED BREADFRUIT CULTIVARS FOR CAROTENOIDS AND RELATED HEALTH BENEFITS IN MICRONESIA

This study focused on the screening of 15 breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) cultivars and one preserved breadfruit product from Micronesia for their content of carotenoids. These substances have been found to have important health benefits, protecting against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and protection against vitamin A deficiency. Participatory ethnographic methods were used to select cultivars for analyses using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Ripe fresh seeded breadfruit (A. mariannensis) and dried seeded breadfruit paste contained high levels of β-carotene (up to 868 µg/100 g) and other carotenoids. Other cultivars contained significant levels of lutein (up to 750 µg/100 g) and total carotenoids (up to 1260 µg/100 g). These nutrient-rich breadfruit cultivars and breadfruit products should be promoted for their health benefits.