2018 Volume 17 Issue 4 Pages 459-464
The satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marcow.) is one of the most eaten domestic fruits in Japan, and it is rich in β-cryptoxanthin (β-CRX). Recent studies suggested that β-CRX has bone-health benefits. The satsuma mandarin produced in Mikkabi, Shizuoka Prefecture, was accepted for the first time among fresh agricultural products as a “Food with functional nutrient claims.” However, there are very few data concerning the differences among production areas and/or varieties in the β-CRX content and associations with fruit quality. In this study, we measured the β-CRX content of various kinds of this fruit harvested in major production centers and examined its relationship with the sugar content. As the results, we found that the cultivar with the lowest β-CRX content was gokuwase; the wase, nakate, and okute cultivars have similar levels of β-CRX. Furthermore, the β-CRX content is significantly and positively correlated with the sugar content in all production areas and varieties.
