Abstract:Taking ‘Banjintao’(blood flesh),‘Troubador’ (yellow flesh) and ‘Zhengji’ (white flesh) as experimental materials,we measured the total carotenoid content and the carotenoid components by UV spectrophotometer and HPLC,respectively.The results showed that:(1)There were five main carotenoid components in peach fruit including xanthophyll,zeaxanthin,β-cryptoxanthin,α-carotene and β-carotene.(2)The total carotenoid content was gradually reducing in Banjintao and Zhengji with the fruit develops.However,it was different in Troubador which was rise after the first decrease,and obviously much more than that in other two varieties.The xanthophyll amount was gradually reducing and near zero at mature stage in three types of peach fruit.Zeaxanthin showed the tendency of decrease,rise and then approached to the maximum at mature stage.The β-cryptoxanthin,α-carotene and β-carotene of Banjintao and Zhengji were gradually decreasing.The β-cryptoxanthin showed the tendency of rise,decrease and rise again in Troubador,while the α-carotene and β-carotene were gradually rising,and all approached the maximum at mature stage.(3)The total carotenoid amount approached the maximum at mature stage in Troubador.β-carotene plays a main role and accounts 75.99% of the five carotenoid components.The study showed that the incarnadine formation had close connection with carotenoids changes in peach fruit,especially the β-carotene.