Screening sweetcorn for enhanced zeaxanthin concentration.

Background: New varieties of fruits and vegetables, with higher carotenoid levels, are being developed to improve the potential health benefits to consumers. To assist the development of a new variety of high zeaxanthin sweetcorn, an analytical screening method was developed, including chromameter measurement of hue angle and optimized extraction for HPLC, and applied to 385 lines of a breeding population and six commercial varieties.

Results: Saponification had no effect on carotenoid extraction.