Influence of pre- and postharvest factors on beta-carotene content, its in vitro bioaccessibility, and antioxidant capacity in melons.

Fresh and stored melons were analyzed for total and bioaccessible beta-carotene content, as well as total antioxidant potentials, to investigate the effects of genotype, season, sowing time, and storage on nutritional quality. There were significant cultivar effects on beta-carotene content (P < 0.001), ranging from 1 to 23 mg kg(-1) of fresh weight (FW), its bioaccessibility (P < 0.