Juice viscosity as related to various juice constituents and fruit characters in tomatoes

Abstract

Alcohol insoluble solid content (AIS) of tomato fruits was found to be highly correlated with viscosity. The correlation coefficient values, based on 12 cultivars, were r=0.97 for AIS of whole fruit extracted with 50% ethanol and r=0.94, extraction with 75% ethanol. The correlation of AIS with viscosity was high for outer pericarp, r=0.93, and inner pericarp, r=0.78, but low for locular contents, r=0.18. A principal component analysis indicated that fruit size, shape and firmness, total solids, proportion of outer and inner pericarp, and locular contents were not highly associated with either AIS or viscosity. Their consequences for a breeding program are discussed.