**4. Conclusions**

In this study the native carotenoids composition in kumquat (*Fortunella margarita*) from Brazil was determined for the first time. Eleven native carotenoids in kumquat from the rural area of Minas Gerais, Brazil were successfully identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS. Four carotenoids in the free form (β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin) and 7 carotenoids in the esterified form were identified (β-citraurin-caproate, β-citraurin-laurate, β-citraurin-myristate, β-citraurin-palmitate, β-cryptoxanthin-laurate, β-cryptoxanthin-myristate, β-cryptoxanthin-palmitate). β-citraurin-laurate and β-cryptoxanthin-laurate were the most abundant native carotenoids in kumquat from Brazil. The

total carotenoid content of kumquat from Brazil was high (2185.16 μg/100 g), suggesting that this fruit can contribute significantly to the ingestion of important bioactive compounds.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, H.M.P.-S., P.C.A.; Methodology, C.S.e.S., G.X.d.P.F.; Writing-review and editing, A.S.; Supervision, G.D., and D.G.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors thanks the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Ensino Superior (CAPES) and the Università degli Studi de Messina for financial support for conduction of the study.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
