Determination of the chlorophyll content of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) kernels using various extraction techniques

Abstract

The pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), a small nut tree belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, is extensively grown in Turkey, which is one of the leading world producers of pistachios. Kernel color is an important parameter for the evaluation of raw pistachios containing chlorophylls a and b as the major pigments. Moreover, kernel color is one of the most important quality attributes evaluated by consumers, producers and distributors. Chlorophylls a and b are the predominant pigments responsible for the green color of pistachios. Pigment concentrations are influenced by a number of factors such as geographic origin, ripeness degree, storage conditions and processing methods. Chlorophylls are sensitive to heat and can be degraded into pheophytins and pyropheophytins. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to determine the chlorophyll content of the 'Uzun' pistachio cultivar (Pistacia vera L.) using the spectrophotometric methods and different solvents.

Keywords

• pistachio
• chlorophyll a
• chlorophyll b
• spectrophotometry