Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for the Recovery of Carotenoids from Guava’s Pulp and Waste Powders

In this work, lycopene- and β-carotene-rich extracts were obtained from guava’s pulp and waste powders using maceration (ME), ultrasonic bath (BUAE, 25 °C for 30 min), and ultrasonic probe (PUAE, 25 °C for 5 min). Extracts were evaluated for total carotenoid content, antioxidant capacity, color, and lycopene and β-carotene content by HPLC-DAD. Bath-type ultrasound-assisted extraction (BUAE) was the best technique to obtain lycopene from guava pulp (135.0 mg 100 g−1) and waste (76.64 mg 100 g−1), followed by ME (pulp = 107.6, waste = 43.57 mg 100 g−1), and PUAE (pulp = 44.19, waste = 33.83 mg 100 g−1). The total carotenoid content positively affected the extracts’ antioxidant capacity. Dehydration of guava fractions showed to be an efficient method to increase carotenoid availability. This is the first work to report the recovery of carotenoids from guava by ultrasonic extraction. Furthermore, this method has shown to be a suitable approach to reduce extraction time and solvent use. These extracts could be further applied to lipid-rich foods as a natural antioxidant and/or as an ingredient in the development of functional foods.