No abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of two thermal concentration systems on bioactive compounds, the sugar content of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) pulp, and the carotenoid bioaccessibility of pulp concentrate. The closed processing system ensured a higher retention of phenolic and carotenoid compounds. The bioaccessibility of lycopene in tomato pulp concentrate was relatively low (0.54 %) but higher than in raw tomato pulp (0.15 %), corroborating other results that have reported the low availability of the compound in these matrices. Carotenoid extraction from tomato residue was also evaluated through both conventional (CE) and ultrasound (UAE) extractions together with the stability of extracts over 30 days. UAE promoted a superior release of lycopene and lutein than conventional extraction.Lycopene showed less stability with a reduction of 18 % in 30 days.

Tomatoes and their derivatives contain bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamins which positively contribute to human health. This study aimed to evaluate the bioaccessibility and biotransformation of phenolic compounds in a tomato pulp using static in vitro model of digestion and an in vitro colonic fermentation. The in vitro digestion of the concentrated tomato pulp (CTP) enhanced total phenolic compounds content, while colonic fermentation decreased the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds over 72 hours of fermentation. Tomato pulp increased propionic, butyric and valeric acids production compared to control and also ammonium ions production. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium remained present after 48 h and, although a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in total coliforms and E. coli counts in the presence of tomato pulp was also observed, Clostridium was the predominant microorganism during colonic fermentation. Keywords: Ammonium ions, Bioaccessibility, Colonic fermentation, Short chain fatty acids