3.2 Effect of pre-treatments on the carotenoid content of the Gac aril powder Results indicated that the content of lycopene and f-carotene was effectively preserved when the fresh Gac arils were soaked in ascorbic acid solution before microwave drying. According to statistical analysis, pre-treatments significantly affected the content of carotenoids (P< 0.001). Moreover, the interaction between ascorbic acid solution and soaking time on the lycopene and f-carotene contents was significantly established (P 0.001).