Phytonutrient content of Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. berries

Abstract

Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. (Litchi tomato) is grown ornamentally, and in Europe it is used as a trap crop for management of the potato cyst nematode (PCN). Its berries are edible, but little is known about their nutritional content. If more was known about their nutritional value this could provide incentive to grow it as a food crop. Phytonutrient content was characterized in berries from four varieties and four synthetic breeding lines developed to have reduced spininess. Litchi tomatoes contained 6.8–10.4mg of total phenolics per g dry weight. Antioxidants measured by FRAP ranged from 148 to 242μmol TE/g DW. HPLC analysis showed chlorogenic acid (1856–4385μg/g DW) was the most abundant phenylpropanoid. Ascorbic acid ranged from 2042 to 4511μg/g DW. The yellow/orange flesh color was due to carotenoids, with β-carotene the most abundant (204–633μg/g DW). Soluble protein in Litchi tomato ranged from 86.9 to 120.9mg/g. Of the cultivated Litchi tomato varieties analyzed, SS91 had the highest amount of antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid and β-carotene. These results suggest that Litchi tomato fruits can be a good source of phytonutrients, expanding the plant's functionality beyond its use as a PCN trap crop.