The study aimed to extract carotenoids from carrot (Daucus carota) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) by using different proportion of solvents such as ethanol, acetone and hexane. Different proportions of solvents (ethanol, acetone, hexane, ethanol: hexane in the proportion (1:1, 2:1.5, 4:3), ethanol: acetone in the proportions (:1, 2:1.5, 4:3) and acetone : hexane (1:1, 2:1.5, 4:3) were used to optimize the extraction procedure. The total carotenoids were identified using UV spectrophotometer method. The detected carotenoids were high in carrots when compared with pumpkins in all the solvent proportions. Furthermore, results obtained from the total carotenoid content and yield showed that ethanol, acetone, hexane, ethanol: acetone in the proportions (:1, 2:1.5, 4:3) had low yield and total carotenoid content and this differed from that with acetone : hexane in the proportion (4:3)( 24.96 %, 30.06 mg/g) for carrots and (22.41 %, 16.83mg/g) for pumpkins. Meanwhile the same extracted with ethanol: hexane (4:3) had presented comparatively high yield (15.90 %, 27.55 mg/g) for carrot and (16.08 %, 12.08 mg/g) for pumpkins. Nevertheless, extraction of carotenoids from carrots and pumpkin was found to be optimized in the solvent proportion acetone: hexane (4:3).

carotenoids, carrot, pumpkin, ethanol, acetone, hexane, yield, total carotenoid content.

According to the findings of this investigation, T12 was the optimal solvent proportion for extracting carotenoids from carrots and pumpkin. As a result, it produced more yield and total carotenoid content. In T12, carrots had a higher carotenoid content than pumpkin. As a result, carotenoids may be extracted from carrot and pumpkin using acetone and hexane (4:3).

Athira Surendran, K. Sudha, B. Murugan and Rita Narayanan (2022). Extraction of Carotenoids from Carrot and Pumpkin using different Solvent Proportions. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(2): 582-586.