The paper presents a method for determination of β-carotene concentration from 50 maize genotypes carotenoidic extracts using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analysed genotypes were cultivated at the Vivekanand Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora (Uttarakhand). In view of a more complete carotenoidic pigments liberation from the raw material, it was used an improved carotenoids extraction technique. In this purpose the maize flour was moisten with distilled water and then treated with ethanol and let at rest 50 minutes for starch hydrolysis and advanced liberation of the carotenoids from plants cells. Carotenoidic pigments extraction was achieved with an organic solvents mixture of Petroleum ether: Diethyl etherto colorless. β-Carotene was identified in all the maize genotypes. Selected three analyzed maize lines (V391, V351 and V345) presents higher β–carotene content, compared with the literature data concerning β–carotene content in other maize hybrids.

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