Antioxidant nutritional quality of tomato

Abstract

Regular consumption of tomatoes has been associated with decreased risk of chronic degenerative diseases. Epidemiological findings confirm the observed health effects are due to the presence of different antioxidant molecules such as carotenoids, particularly lycopene, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and phenol compounds, particularly flavonoids. In this work, eight components contributing to the healthy quality of tomato (i. e. lycopene, beta-carotene, other carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins C and E, dry residue) were studied in the framework of breeding programs aiming to develop nutritional superior genotypes. Twelve tomato advanced breeding lines and six open pollinated cultivars were grown in strictly controlled conditions and analysed for their content of antioxidants. Among the 18 genotypes analysed, 10 showed a high level of total carotenoids, 6 high level of beta-carotene, 9 high lycopene levels, 15 high flavonoids and 2 relevant concentration of vitamin E. Based on such data and on a literature survey on tomato composition, an index, called index of antioxidant nutritional quality (I(QUAN)), was proposed as a tool to address the breeding programs in selecting tomato genotypes with antioxidant nutritional qualities.

Effect of edible coatings on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of tomatoes at different maturity stages

“…Different studies have shown that applying edible wax reduces tomato metabolism, thus increasing shelf life. The lycopene content of tomatoes has been previously reported to be in the range of 1.86-14.62 mg per 100 g of fw (Frusciante et al 2007). Therefore, differences in lycopene content could be attributed to the retardation of the fruit maturity process caused by the combination of temperature of storage and use edible coatings.…”

“…The application of edible coatings to fresh fruit has been associated with an accumulation of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid, causing an increase in the antioxidant capacity of the fruit (Frusciante et al 2007). The accumulation of phenolic compounds may be promoted by PAL activity, which is activated under stress conditions.…”

“…Previous studies showed that low O 2 (2.5 KPa) and high CO 2 (7 kPa) concentrations increased the production of phenolic compounds during the storage of fresh cut melons, which was related to oxidative stress Different letters represents significant differences (p<0.05) between treatments and between days. Each observation is a mean ± SD of three replicates (n09) (Frusciante et al 2007). In grapes treated with edible chitosan coatings, an increase in the PAL enzyme responsible for synthesizing phenolic compounds was observed (Romanazzi et al 2002).…”

“…No significant differences were observed between mineral oil and carnauba treatments. Lycopene is the major carotenoid compound in tomatoes; it gives the fruit its characteristic red color (Frusciante et al 2007). Different studies have shown that applying edible wax reduces tomato metabolism, thus increasing shelf life.…”

“…The beneficial effects on human health are believed to be due at least partially to the action of antioxidant compounds that reduce oxidative damage in the human body. Tomatoes are rich in health-related compounds, as they are good sources of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, lycopene and ascorbic acid (Frusciante et al 2007). …”