Abstract
Light is an important environmental factor that regulates the activity of metabolism-related biochemical pathways during tomato maturation. Using LED to improve lighting conditions during the process of tomato growth and development is a feasible and efficient method to improve the quality of tomato fruit. In this study, red and blue LEDs were used to supplement light on “MicroTom” tomato plants for different periods of time in the morning and evening, and the differences between the primary and secondary metabolites and other nutrient metabolites in the tomato fruit were analyzed using liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and other methods. Supplementing light in the morning promoted the accumulation of vitamin C, organic acids, amino acids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and other health-promoting substances in the tomato fruits. Supplementing light in the evening significantly increased the content of sugars, flavonoids, and aromatic substances in tomato fruits, whereas the promoting effect of LED on the accumulation of amino acids and carotenoids was lower in the evening than in the morning. Both morning and evening light supplementation reduced the mineral content of fruit. In conclusion, morning light supplementation improved the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, while evening light supplementation improved their flavor.
Highlights
Tomatoes are one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world, and are deeply loved for their unique flavor and rich nutritional quality
Compared with the control group 3 h of morning light supplementation made no significant difference in the contents of fructose and glucose in the tomato fruits
We found that the total sugar contents of tomato fruit were significantly increased by 3 h of evening light supplementation, there was no significant difference between treatment and control fruits when supplementary light was provided in the morning (Figure 2D)
Summary
Tomatoes are one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world, and are deeply loved for their unique flavor and rich nutritional quality. The ever-increasing population has led to the pursuit of high yields of tomatoes. In order to increase yields, breeders have to lower the requirements for tomato quality and discard some good quality traits and varieties [4, 5]. Factors such as climate change, intensification of environmental pollution and improper use of fertilizers have led to the deterioration of tomato quality [6, 7]. With the improvement of people’s requirements for food quality, it is generally believed that tomatoes have lost their “childhood taste,” and the goal of increasing the quality of tomato fruits has attracted more and more attention
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