Changes in lipids of tomato fruit stored at chilling and non-chilling temperatures

Abstract

Mature green tomato fruits ( Lycopersicon esculentum) were stored at non-chilling or chilling temperature (15 or 2°, respectively) for 2, 4, 8 or 12 days after harvest. Fruit stored at 15° had progressed to the pink stage of ripening after 12 days, whereas fruit stored at 2° had not ripened significantly. On a fresh weight basis, the phospholipid content of tomato pericarp tissue changed very little during storage at either 15 or 2°. Free fatty acids increased three-fold in fruit held at 15° and 1.2-fold in fruit held at 2°. Total sterol content increased during storage at both 15 and 2°. The increase in free sterols was greater in chilled compared to unchilled fruit, whereas the reverse was true for steryl esters. Chilling had no efrect on the amounts of free and acylated steryl glycosides. The stigmasterol: sitosterol ratio in all steryl lipids increased dramatically with storage at 15°, but only slightly with storage at 2°.