Some watermelon cultivars stored at room temperature accumulate more lycopene and beta carotene than the same cultivars stored at cooler temperatures, according to a study published online in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Researchers Penelope Perkins-Veazie and Julie Collins, from USDA's South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, looked at the effect of storage on the carotenoid levels of three types of watermelon--open-pollinated seeded, hybrid seeded and seedless--stored at 5<\#161>C, 13<\#161>C and 21<\#161>C for 14 days.
Results showed that lycopene content of seedless and hybrid-seeded cultivars stored at 21<\#161>C increased 11% to 40%. Beta carotene content increased 50% to 139% for all three cultivars studied. Perkins-Veazie believes these findings are "useful for processors wishing to obtain these carotenoids for the natural products market."
Lycopene, which gives watermelon its red color, is an antioxidant believed to reduce the risk of several diseases, including prostate cancer.
