Tocopherols and tocotrienols in Annona cherimola Mill. fruits.

As part of a study to determine the content of vitamin E in tropical fruits grown in Sicily, it was valued the content of tocopherols and tocotrienols in Annona cherimola Mill. fruit, from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian area in province of Messina. Saponified samples of fruits were determined by means of liquid chromatography with spectrofluorimetric detection. The tocopherol content is comparable with other tropical fruits grown in Sicily. The fruits from the Tyrrhenian coast show a higher content of tocopherols. Of these, the α-tocopherol is predominant. The quantities of other tocopherols are lower and δ tocopherol is in higher concentration. In the pulp and in the peel, some tocotrienols, particularly δ, rarely found in other fruits, were also identified.