The details were as follows: the
amount of 0.1 (0.0001) g samples was dissolved and diluted into
100 mL with acetone as a stock solution. Then the stock solution
was diluted into an appropriate concentration with acetone and the
absorbance of the diluted solutionwas measured against acetone at
460 nm by a spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV1600). The content
of red pigments was expressed as the total content of carotenoids
using b-carotene equivalents in mg per g pericarp.