Effects of genotype and cultivation environment on lycopene content in red‐ripe tomatoes

Lycopene, a natural red pigment found in tomato, is correlated with reduced incidence of some cancers. Forty tomato varieties, including cluster F₁ hybrid tomatoes, round breeding line tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) and cherry tomato types (L esculentum var cerasiforme), grown under greenhouse and field conditions were evaluated for their lycopene content using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometry. Lycopene content varied significantly among the tomato varieties, with cherry tomato types having the highest lycopene content. Greenhouse‐grown cluster and round tomatoes contained more lycopene (mean = 30.3 mg kg^?1) than field‐grown tomatoes (mean = 25.2 mg kg^?1), whereas cherry tomato types had a higher lycopene content in field‐grown (mean = 91.9 mg kg^?1) than in greenhouse‐grown (mean = 56.1 mg kg^?1) fruits. HPLC analysis of lycopene isomeric forms revealed a higher content of all‐trans isomers in all tomato genotypes examined. However, the cis isomeric form was exceptionally higher in the field‐ and greenhouse‐grown cherry tomato L esculentum var cerasiforme cv Gardener's Delight, which contained ～9.3 and 9.9 mg kg^?1 cis isomers respectively. Results indicate that genetics and choice of cultivation environment may have a strong influence on tomato lycopene content. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lycopene in tomatoes: chemical and physical properties affected by food processing

Lycopene is the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. It has attracted attention due to its biological and physicochemical properties, especially related to its effects as a natural antioxidant. Although it has no provitamin A activity, lycopene does exhibit a physical quenching rate constant with singlet oxygen almost twice as high as that of beta-carotene. This makes its presence in the diet of considerable interest. Increasing clinical evidence supports the role of lycopene as a micronutrient with important health benefits, because it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and related tomato products are the major source of lycopene compounds, and are also considered an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Undesirable degradation of lycopene not only affects the sensory quality of the final products, but also the health benefit of tomato-based foods for the human body. Lycopene in fresh tomato fruits occurs essentially in the all-trans configuration. The main causes of tomato lycopene degradation during processing are isomerization and oxidation. Isomerization converts all-trans isomers to cis-isomers due to additional energy input and results in an unstable, energy-rich station. Determination of the degree of lycopene isomerization during processing would provide a measure of the potential health benefits of tomato-based foods. Thermal processing (bleaching, retorting, and freezing processes) generally cause some loss of lycopene in tomato-based foods. Heat induces isomerization of the all-trans to cis forms. The cis-isomers increase with temperature and processing time. In general, dehydrated and powdered tomatoes have poor lycopene stability unless carefully processed and promptly placed in a hermetically sealed and inert atmosphere for storage. A significant increase in the cis-isomers with a simultaneous decrease in the all-trans isomers can be observed in the dehydrated tomato samples using the different dehydration methods. Frozen foods and heat-sterilized foods exhibit excellent lycopene stability throughout their normal temperature storage shelf life. Lycopene bioavailability (absorption) can be influenced by many factors. The bioavailability of cis-isomers in food is higher than that of all-trans isomers. Lycopene bioavailability in processed tomato products is higher than in unprocessed fresh tomatoes. The composition and structure of the food also have an impact on the bioavailability of lycopene and may affect the release of lycopene from the tomato tissue matrix. Food processing may improve lycopene bioavailability by breaking down cell walls, which weakens the bonding forces between lycopene and tissue matrix, thus making lycopene more accessible and enhancing the cis-isomerization. More information on lycopene bioavailability, however, is needed. The pharmacokinetic properties of lycopene remain particularly poorly understood. Further research on the bioavalability, pharmacology, biochemistry, and physiology must be done to reveal the mechanism of lycopene in human diet, and the in vivo metabolism of lycopene. Consumer demand for healthy food products provides an opportunity to develop lycopene-rich food as new functional foods, as well as food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade lycopene as new nutraceutical products. An industrial scale, environmentally friendly lycopene extraction and purification procedure with minimal loss of bioactivities is highly desirable for the foods, feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. High-quality lycopene products that meet food safety regulations will offer potential benefits to the food industry.     

Lycopene content and antioxidant activity of fresh and processed tomatoes and in vitro bioavailability of lycopene

BACKGROUND: Lycopene, a phytochemical, has attracted a great deal of interest over the past few years. This has triggered research on the biological properties of lycopene and on the numerous factors that control these properties. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate lycopene content and antioxidant activity of fresh, sun‐dried and canned tomatoes. In addition, in vitro bioavailability of lycopene was determined. RESULTS: Lycopene contents of fresh, sun‐dried and canned tomatoes were found to be 1.74, 5.51 and 3.55 mg 100 g^?1, respectively, on a fresh wet basis. The highest lycopene bioavailability was obtained for sun‐dried tomatoes (58.05%) and this was followed by fresh (28.67%) and canned tomatoes (21.83%). Fresh tomatoes showed the highest antioxidant activity against ABTS radical oxidation. This was followed by sun‐dried tomatoes and canned tomatoes. The inhibition effect of intestinal dialysates of the samples on ABTS radical oxidation was between 51.34% and 92.96%. CONCLUSION: Maintenance antioxidant activity and existence of lycopene following an in vitro digestion process were the main findings, which might contribute forthcoming studies in this scientific field. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Retail colour display life of chilled lamb as affected by processing conditions and storage temperature

This study explored the impact of i) processing conditions (electrical stimulation and pre rigor temperatures), and ii) storage temperature prior to retail display on the colour stability of lamb which had been vacuum-packaged for seven weeks before retail packaging in high-oxygen modified atmosphere (80% O(2)/20% CO(2)). A high pre rigor temperature (42°C) reduced colour stability while differences in colour stability between pre rigor temperatures of 5°C, 15°C and 25°C were limited. It was not affected by electrical stimulation, and did not interact with pre rigor temperature. In contrast, an increase in the storage temperature from the ideal temperature of -1.5°C to 2°C significantly decreased the colour stability of lamb loins. Even one week at 2°C at the end of the storage period had a substantial negative impact on the retail colour display life. The variability in colour increased over time, and the variability increased more for the temperature abuse treatments.     

Effects of environmental factors and agricultural techniques on antioxidantcontent of tomatoes

Antioxidants are believed to be important in the prevention of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Lycopene is one of the main antioxidants to be found in fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products. The lycopene content also accounts for the redness of the fruit, which is one of the main qualities for which industry and consumers now look. Other carotenes (such as β‐carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E and various phenolic compounds are also thought to be health‐promoting factors with antioxidant properties. Since the antioxidant content of tomatoes may depend on genetic factors, the choice of variety cultivated may affect the results at harvest. To be able to control the antioxidant content of tomatoes at the field level when growing a given variety, it is necessary to know the effects of both environmental factors and the agricultural techniques used. Temperatures below 12 °C strongly inhibit lycopene biosynthesis and temperatures above 32 °C stop this process altogether. The effects of the temperature on the synthesis of other antioxidants have not yet been properly assessed. The effects of light have been studied more thoroughly, apart from those on vitamin E. The effects of water availability, mineral nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium) and plant growth regulators have been studied, but results are sometimes contradictory and the data often incomplete. During the ripening period, lycopene content of tomatoes increases sharply from the pink stage onwards, but no sufficient attempts have been made so far to assess the changes in the other antioxidants present in the fruit. This paper reviews the present state of the art. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lycopene content of tomatoes and tomato products and their contribution to dietary lycopene

Tomatoes are an integral part of diet world wide. Many population studies have established link between dietary intake of tomatoes, a major source of a carotenoid antioxidant lycopene and reduced risk of chronic diseases. This study evaluates the lycopene contents of various commonly consumed tomato products and estimates its daily intake levels. A fast and simple spectrophotometric method for routine analysis of lycopene was developed and validated against HPLC method. Lycopene content in various tomato products ranged from 42 ppm to 365 ppm. Average daily dietary lycopene intake levels were assessed by administering food frequency questionnaire and were estimated to be 25.2 mg day⁻¹. Fresh tomatoes accounted for 50% of total lycopene intake.     

响应面试验优化超声辅助提取番茄皮渣中番茄红素工艺及其HPLC-MS测定

以番茄皮渣为原料,采用超声辅助提取工艺,研究提取溶剂种类、超声功率、液固比、提取时间、提取温度对番茄红素提取效果的影响,通过响应面试验分析,确定最佳工艺条件为：皮渣经95%乙醇溶液处理后,以乙酸乙酯为提取溶剂,提取温度50 ℃、提取时间45 min、液固比5∶1（mL/g）、超声功率270 W。产物经高效液相色谱-质谱测定,番茄红素提取量可达到250.1 mg/kg。通过组织结构观察,与传统提取方法相比,超声提取能有效破坏植物组织结构,提高提取效果。     

Stabilisation of colour and odour of beef patties by using lycopene‐rich tomato and peppers as a source of antioxidants

Beef patties containing natural antioxidants—cayenne hot pepper, red sweet pepper, lycopene‐rich tomato pulp (LRTP) and extract of tomato rich in lycopene (Lyc‐O‐Mato?)—and packaged in modified atmosphere were evaluated for storage stability at 2 ± 1 °C by measuring CIE a* values, surface metmyoglobin, TBARS, psychrotrophic bacteria counts and sensory off‐odour and discolouration. Results demonstrated that the addition of ground peppers (both sweet and hot) to beef patties delayed and inhibited very significantly (p < 0.05) the oxidation of both myoglobin and lipid as well as the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria. As a consequence, and according to instrumental and sensory results of meat colour and odour, the shelf life of beef patties was extended from about 4 to about 16 days. Capsaicinoid‐rich cayenne hot pepper exerted a more intense antioxidative effect than capsaicinoid‐free red sweet pepper. The addition of lycopene‐enriched tomato products (LOM and LRTP) was not as effective as treatment with peppers, although they exerted a significant (p < 0.05) antioxidative effect too, depending on the lycopene concentration. These tomato products delayed meat deterioration to a varying extent, so that the shelf life of treated beef patties ranged between 8 and 12 days. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Muscle carotenoid content and colour of farmed rainbow trout fed astaxanthin or canthaxanthin as affected by cooking and smoke-curing procedures

Carotenoids and colour characteristics were studied in raw, steamed and smoke-cured muscle of rainbow trout fed synthetic astaxanthin (50 or 100mgkg^-1 diet) or canthaxanthin (100mgkg^-1 diet) for 15 months.
In raw muscle main carotenoid concentration was strongly correlated with hue, chroma, and lightness. Diet and sex effects were significant on most traits, with little or no interaction. Female muscles contained much more carotenoid and were more coloured than male ones. Astaxanthin fed fish were more red than canthaxanthin fed fish.
Significant mean effects of cooking were an apparent increase of carotenoid concentration and an increase of lightness. Hue and chroma were practically unchanged with high correlations between raw and cooked muscle measurements. Lightness increased and differences between sexes and individuals were reduced.
Smoke-curing induced an increase of carotenoid concentration and a decrease of hue and lightness. Hue of canthaxanthin fed fish when smoke-cured was similar to that of raw fish fed astaxanthin. Lightness, still dependant on that of the raw muscle, was reduced and differences among diets, sexes and individuals were reduced.     

番茄粉中果胶含量粒径贮藏温度与色泽稳定性的相关性

以不同果胶含量、不同粒径的番茄粉为原料,研究贮藏温度对番茄粉色泽变化的影响。结果表明:番茄粉中果胶含量、粒径、贮藏温度与色泽的稳定性有一定的相关性。在不同温度条件下的整个贮藏过程中,低果胶含量的不同粒径番茄粉的L值、a值、b值均呈下降趋势,贮藏温度越高,下降幅度越大;高果胶含量的番茄粉在不同温度条件下的贮藏过程中L值均呈上升趋势,a值和b值由于贮藏温度不同呈现不同的变化趋势。     

Quality of fresh‐cut tomatoes as affected by salt content in irrigation water and post‐processing ultraviolet‐C treatment

BACKGROUND: There is little information available concerning the effect of sanitizing agents, including ultraviolet (UV‐C) light, on nutritional composition of fresh‐cut produce. In this study, the influence of UV‐C light irradiation (3.2–19.2 kJ m^?2) on the nutritional quality of fresh‐cut tomato cv. Durinta grown under either low (2.4/2.8 dS m^?1) or high (4.9/7.7 dS m^?1) electrical conductivity (EC) of the hydroponic nutrient influx/efflux solution was investigated. RESULTS: When grown under low EC UV‐C light treatment reduced development of microbial population of fresh‐cut tomato, increased phenolic content and delayed degradation of vitamin C after 7 days of storage at 4–6 °C. UV‐C light irradiation had no significant effect on appearance, color or lycopene content of fresh‐cut tomato. In recently harvested intact tomatoes, the lycopene and vitamin C contents were 30% higher in tomatoes irrigated with high EC, whereas the phenolic content was unaffected by the salt treatment. After fresh‐cut processing, phenolic and vitamin C contents of fresh cuts produced from tomatoes treated with high EC decreased by > 10%. This decline was initially accelerated in tomato treated with UV‐C light irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that fresh‐cut tomatoes are affected dissimilarly by UV‐C treatments, depending on the degree of salt stress undergone by plants before harvest. We determined the impact of a sanitizing procedure on nutritional composition, an effect often overlooked but with great significance to ensure overall quality of fresh produce. Our findings revealed the need for more nutritional studies addressing the effect of multiple stress factors from pre‐harvest to post‐processing stages. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of moisture content, storage temperature and storage period on colour, ascorbic acid, lycopene and total flavonoids of dried tomato halves

Dried tomato halves with three storage moisture contents [18%, 24% and 30%, wet basis (wb)], packed in glass jar, plastic container and polyethylene bag were stored in room and cool-chamber environments for 5 months. During storage period average room and cool-chamber temperatures were 20 ± 4 and 5 ± 1 °C respectively. Changes of colour, ascorbic acid, lycopene, total flavonoids and moisture contents were monitored 1-month interval. Significantly higher losses of colour, ascorbic acid, lycopene and total flavonoids were found for room environment than those of cool chamber. A set of regression equations had been developed for colour, ascorbic acid, lycopene and total flavonoids as a function of storage time. No visible microorganisms were detected in the samples during the storage period. Dried tomato with ≤24% (wb) moisture content may be recommended to store in cool chamber (5 °C) and ≤18% (wb) to store in room environment (20 °C) both to be packed in glass jar.     

Optimisation of biological and physical parameters for lycopene supercritical CO2 extraction from ordinary and high‐pigment tomato cultivars

BACKGROUND: Lycopene is used for several industrial applications. Supercritical CO₂ (SC‐CO₂) extraction from red‐ripe tomato fruits is an excellent technique to replace the use of harmful solvents. In this study, starting from red‐ripe tomatoes of ordinary and high‐lycopene cultivars, the effect of different agronomical and technical aspects on lycopene content, stability and yield was evaluated throughout the production process from fresh tomatoes to the final SC‐CO₂‐extracted oleoresin containing lycopene. RESULTS: Red‐ripe tomato cultivars differed in their lycopene content. Irrigation excess or deficit caused an increase in the amount of lycopene in the fruits. Fresh tomatoes were processed into a lyophilised matrix suitable for SC‐CO₂ extraction, which could be stored for more than 6 months at ? 20 °C without lycopene loss. Under the optimal extraction conditions, efficiencies of up to 80% were achieved, but the recovery of lycopene in the extracted oleoresin was very low (～24%). Co‐extraction of the tomato matrix mixed with a lipid co‐matrix allowed the recovery of ～90% of lycopene in the oleoresin. Using the high‐lycopene cultivars, the yield of total extracted lycopene increased by ～60% with respect to the ordinary cultivars. Lipids and other biologically active molecules were present in the oleoresin. CONCLUSION: A method for extracting, from a tomato matrix, a natural and solvent‐free oleoresin containing lycopene dissolved in a highly unsaturated vegetable oil has been described. The oleoresin represents an excellent product for testing on cancer and cardiovascular disease prevention. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of packaging materials following ethanol and benomyl treatments on chemical and microbiological changes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruits

The effects of various post-harvest treatments on chemical changes, microbiological quality and occurrence of spoilage in ripe tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L) were investigated. Fruits were pretreated in 70% ethanol or 0.2% benomyl before being packaged in low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) or raffia palm basket. Fruit was stored at 27–32°C for up to 16 days. Control fruits (without pretreatment or packaging) showed the highest increase in pH; basket-packaged fruits were erratic but LDPE- and HDPE-packaged fruits showed gradual increases. Changes in titratable acidity were the inverse of those in pH. Among packagings, LDPE most effectively maintained total soluble solids (TSS) as compared with basket-packaged fruits, and the control showed the lowest TSS. Of the pretreatments, benomyl-treated fruits retained higher TSS. Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp, Pseudomonas spp and Escherichia spp occurred most commonly in control and basket-packaged fruits, but Rhizopus spp and Leuconostoc spp predominantly occurred in LDPE- and HDPE-packaged fruits. Microbial load was lowest in benomyl-treated fruits followed by ethanol-treated and control fruits. Spoilage was higher (53.1%) in ethanol-treated than in benomyl-treated (43.8%) fruits.     

超高压协同中温处理对番茄汁中番茄红素和总VC 含量的影响

探讨超高压协同中温加工对番茄汁中番茄红素和总VC 含量的影响。番茄汁在温度为33.5℃,压力为469.2MPa,时间为14.0min 的条件下处理,番茄红素含量显著增加,但番茄红素顺反异构体变化不明显;VC 含量变化不显著。     

1-甲基环丙烯处理对樱桃番茄果实低温贮藏品质的影响

为了探讨低温贮藏条件下1-甲基环丙烯(1-methylcyclopropene,1-MCP)处理对樱桃番茄果实采后品质的影响,该研究以'粉娇'樱桃番茄为试材,测定了经1-MCP(0.14μL/L)处理的樱桃番茄在低温[(8±1)℃]贮藏期间果实腐烂率、呼吸强度、果实硬度、可溶性固形物、维生素C、有机酸和类胡萝卜素含量的...     

Integration of sensory and objective measurements of tomato quality: quantitative assessment of the effect of harvest date as compared with growth medium (soil versus rockwool), electrical conductivity,variety and maturity

Sensory characteristics as well as objective measures of texture, refractory index, colour and total acid content were measured in tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) from two experiments comprising variation in harvest time, electrical conductivity (EC), growth medium (soil versus rockwool), variety and maturity. For most characteristics, simultaneous sensory evaluations were more sensitive for detection of small differences than corresponding objective measurements, while the objective measurements obtained better significances in comparisons of different harvest times. Using the correlations between parallel sensory and objective analyses of firmness, a procedure to combine objective and sensory measurements of texture was defined and used to compensate for the drift of sensory data at different evaluation times, and the calibrated measure of firmness used in a principal components analysis. For most sensory characteristics assessed, the greatest variation was due to differences in variety, followed by maturity, harvest time and EC, while the type of growth medium (soil or rockwool) had no or little effect. However, for the characteristics related to texture (crispness and firmness), the ranking was harvest time, EC, growth medium, maturity and variety, with soil‐grown tomatoes being slightly but significantly softer than the rockwool‐grown ones. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry