Simultaneous extraction and quantification of hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants in Solanum lycopersicum L. varieties marketed in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Several varieties of Solanum lycopersicum L. are consumed in Saudi Arabia, including the most expensive Ramis tomato, which is claimed to be rich in antioxidants. However, there is a lack of studies on the extraction and quantification of antioxidants in tomatoes marketed in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a straightforward method to extract and quantify phenolics and carotenoids in tomatoes consumed in Saudi Arabia. The developed method used glass coverslips for homogenisation and a methanol-petroleum ether mixture for extraction. In 15 investigated varieties, antioxidants were abundantly present in the skin part (2.0 ± 0.72 mg/g of phenolics and 229.50 ± 21.10 μg/g of carotenoids) compared to the pulp (0.67 ± 0.20 mg/g of phenolics and 107.70 ± 21.10 μg/g of carotenoids). Generally, the Saudi varieties contained higher amounts of antioxidants than the imported varieties. The antioxidant content of the Ramis cultivar depends on the cultivation location. For instance, Ramis Awjam shows high amounts of phenolics (2.72 mg/g in the skin extract and 0.63 mg/g in the pulp) and carotenoids (338.04–388.41 μg/g in the skin and 173.93–205.75 μg/g in the pulp). This study provides valuable insights that can assist in selecting the cultivar and location of tomatoes with the maximum antioxidant quantities.