DYNAMICS OF CERTAIN CHEMICAL COMPONENTS IN TOMATO FRUIT (LYCOPERSICON ECULENTUM MILL.) MAINTAINED AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES AFTER HARVEST

Abstract

Traditional tomato varieties are of particular importance for vegetable cultivation, by capitalizing on the diversity of local populations and increasing the number of crops. The study of local populations of cultivated tomatoes determines the accumulation of additional knowledge on how the shape, size and taste of fruits evolve, helping to identify new varieties with a role in improving the productivity, quality and nutritional value of tomatoes. In this paper, 2 local varieties from the Cluj County area were studied, from the point of view of the dynamics of certain chemical components when, after harvest, the tomatoes are stored at different stages of maturity. The lowest water loss, of 7.5%, was presented by the pink variety, stored for 7 days at a temperature of 8 °C. Vitamin C was better preserved in the case of the red variety, presenting after 7 days of storage at 8 °C, values of 27.23% at green maturity and 46.58% at consumption maturity. The pectic substances, in the case of the studied varieties, do not show significant variations depending on the maturity phase or the storage method, these registering values between 0.11 and 0.27%.