Carotenoids In Tomato Fruit Research Articles

Reflectance-based non-destructive assessment of total carotenoids in tomato fruits

Reflectance-based non-destructive assessment of total carotenoids in tomato fruits

Pulsed light of near-infrared and visible light wavelengths induces the accumulation of carotenoids in tomato fruits during post-treatment time.

Pulsed light (PL) is proposed as a novel strategy for the food industry to enhance the antioxidant potential of fruits and vegetables for industrial uses. The main aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of postharvest PL treatments of different spectral ranges on the carotenoid concentration as well as quality attributes of tomatoes during post-treatment time. Doses of wide-spectrum light (180-1100 nm), full-spectrum without ultraviolet (UV)-C wavelengths (305-1100 nm), and visible (VIS) + near-infrared light (NIR) (400-1100 nm) were compared. Total carotenoids, lycopene, and chlorophyll contents were spectrophotometrically assessed just after treatments and 1, 5, and 10 days post-treatment. PL treatments accelerated the accumulation of both total carotenoids and lycopene concentrations in tomato fruits. Nevertheless, the efficacy of PL depended on the applied spectral range. Tomato subjected to VIS + NIR treatment exhibited the greatest enhancement in total carotenoids (31 %) and lycopene (35 %) content at day 5 post-treatment and quality attributes were not affected. Conversely, UV-light exposure did not enhance carotenoid concentrations. These results evidenced that VIS + NIR treatments induced a faster accumulation of carotenoids without negatively affecting tomato quality attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The integration of visible and near-infrared (VIS + NIR) light filters in pulsed light (PL) processing allows enhancing the accumulation of bioactive compounds in tomato tissues in a sustainable way, which can be processed to obtain derived products (e.g., juices, purees) with health-promoting properties. PL technology is characterized by a lack of residual compounds and the absence of applying chemicals potentially harmful to humans. Industries can attract the attention of consumers through their application, which allows offering this added value.

Ubiquitination of phytoene synthase 1 precursor modulates carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato

Carotenoids are natural pigments that are indispensable to plants and humans, whereas the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis by post-translational modification remains elusive. Here, we show that a tomato E3 ubiquitin ligase, Plastid Protein Sensing RING E3 ligase 1 (PPSR1), is responsible for the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis. PPSR1 exhibits self-ubiquitination activity and loss of PPSR1 function leads to an increase in carotenoids in tomato fruit. PPSR1 affects the abundance of 288 proteins, including phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1), the key rate-limiting enzyme in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. PSY1 contains two ubiquitinated lysine residues (Lys380 and Lys406) as revealed by the global analysis and characterization of protein ubiquitination. We provide evidence that PPSR1 interacts with PSY1 precursor protein and mediates its degradation via ubiquitination, thereby affecting the steady-state level of PSY1 protein. Our findings not only uncover a regulatory mechanism for controlling carotenoid biosynthesis, but also provide a strategy for developing carotenoid-enriched horticultural crops.

Simultaneous determination of carotenoids with different polarities in tomato products using a C30 core-shell column based approach

A rapid and cost-effective chromatographic approach based on a core-shell column with high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) is proposed for the quantification of carotenoids in tomato fruits and its derived products. Separation of analytes with different polarities, like lutein, β-carotene and lycopene was achieved in less than 16.5 min (total run time of 20 min) by using an Accucore C30 column (3.0 mm × 150 mm, 2.6 µm) with a gradient of methanol, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ultrapure water, a temperature of 10 °C and a flow rate of 0.4 mL min−1. The maximum backpressure reached was 270 bar, making the developed method suitable for standard HPLC instruments commonly found in routine laboratories. After a thorough evaluation of the solvent for re-suspending the extracts, the mixture methanol:MTBE (1:1) was the most adequate to allow accurate quantification and avoid underestimation of analytes. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.03 to 0.46 mg kg−1 dry weight of the sample, with overall recoveries (accuracy) between 86% and 116% for target compounds. The developed method was applied for the determination of carotenoids in 7 fresh and processed tomato samples confirming its suitability for quantification of analytes in different matrixes.

Melatonin promotes carotenoid biosynthesis in an ethylene-dependent manner in tomato fruits

In tomato, red color is a key commercial trait and arises from the accumulation of carotenoids. Previous studies have revealed that melatonin promotes lycopene accumulation and ethylene production. However, it is unclear if melatonin similarly increases other carotenoids, and whether any increase of carotenoids in tomato fruit is directly related to ethylene production. In this study, changes in carotenoid profiles during fruit ripening were investigated in control (CK) and in fruits treated with melatonin (M50). The α, β-carotene, and lycopene levels were significantly increased in M50, and there was increased carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression. We also observed up-regulated transcript levels of SlRIN, SlCNR, and SlNOR in M50 compared to CK. To better understand the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis by melatonin and its potential response to endogenous ethylene, we tested an ethylene-insensitive mutant, Never ripe (Nr). Melatonin-treated Nr failed to accumulate more carotenoids compared to CK, although there was significantly changed ethylene production. Additionally, there was no general upregulation of expression of ripening-related genes in this mutant under melatonin treatment. These results suggest melatonin function might require ethylene to promote carotenoid synthesis in tomato.

Enhancement of the antioxidant capacity of ripe tomatoes by the application of a hot water treatment at the mature-green stage

Abstract Plants are constantly exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses, inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In response, the synthesis of antioxidants is upregulated to neutralize the deteriorating effects of ROS. We investigated whether promoting this response could enhance the nutritional and sensory quality of tomatoes. In preliminary experiments, mature green tomatoes were immersed in hot water (HW) at 50 °C for 5 min, 52 °C for 5 min, or 54 °C for 2.5 min (25 °C water for 5 min as control); subsequent experiments utilized 52 °C for 5 min. Following those treatments, we evaluated the changes in color, texture, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and the antioxidant system of the fruit during ripening at 20 °C and 85–90 % relative humidity. The HW treatment of 52 °C for 5 min promoted higher accumulation of carotenoids and lipophilic phenolics, resulting in greater color development and slightly higher antioxidant potential, but did not otherwise affect the composition of ripe fruit; the tomatoes ripened normally after HW immersion, with no firmness differences, but were darker red and less yellow-orange with higher antioxidant potential. Furthermore, we observed that the beneficial effects were more noticeable at early stages of ripening, even in varieties that did not exhibit major differences after reaching full ripeness. In this sense, we found that ‘Florida 47’ and ‘Security 28’ tomatoes have a limited response to HW treatment compared with ‘Soraya’ and especially ‘Tasti Lee’ tomatoes, indicating that there might be genetic constraints on the response in the former varieties. The beneficial effect of immersing the tomatoes in HW was proportional to the heat penetration profile inside the fruit; for example, the 52 °C for 5 min treatment increased the temperature up to 45 °C in the peripheral tissues 4 mm below the fruit surface where the content of carotenoids and lipophilic phenolic compounds was mainly increased; whereas, the tissue temperature was 35 °C at the center of the tomato, where we did not observe any change in composition. In conclusion, the HW immersion used in this research promoted the synthesis of lipophilic antioxidants such as carotenoids in tomato fruit, enhancing red color development and antioxidant potential.

Induced accumulation of individual carotenoids and quality changes in tomato fruits treated with pulsed electric fields and stored at different post-treatments temperatures

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) have been proposed to elicit an increase in the content of health-related compounds in plant-based products. It has been previously demonstrated that PEF treatments may be applied to significantly increase the content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids in tomatoes. Nevertheless, the metabolic response of tomato is known to be greatly affected by postharvest storage conditions, which have a determinant impact on the quality characteristics of the product. The effects of PEF processing and post-treatment storage temperature on both carotenoid profile and the main physicochemical properties of tomato fruits were evaluated. Different specific energy inputs (0.02 kJ kg−1 and 0.38 kJ kg−1) and storage temperatures (4, 12 and 20 °C) were studied. The application of PEF treatments significantly improved the accumulation of carotenoids in tomato fruits. Nevertheless, the concentration of total and individual carotenoids during storage was differently influenced by the storage temperature depending on the applied PEF treatment. The increased concentration of carotenoids was noticeably higher in tomatoes stored at 12 °C than in those fruits stored at 4 or 20 °C. The mildest PEF treatment (0.02 kJ kg−1) promoted the greatest accumulations of total carotenoids (58%) and lycopene (150%) in tomatoes stored during 5 d at 12 °C without compromising the fresh-like quality of tomato fruits. However, the most intense PEF treatment (0.38 kJ kg−1) triggered a fast accumulation of carotenoids, leading to the greatest increase of β-carotene (77%), γ-carotene (200%) and lutein (238%) concentration in tomatoes stored at 12 °C for 1 d. Nonetheless, irreversible damage was caused to tomato tissues, thus leading to deleterious quality effects. The results obtained provide valuable information for the future application of PEF in the development of tomato derivative products with increased health-related properties.

Exploiting Genomics Resources to Identify Candidate Genes Underlying Antioxidants Content in Tomato Fruit.

The tomato is a model species for fleshy fruit development and ripening, as well as for genomics studies of others Solanaceae. Many genetic and genomics resources, including databases for sequencing, transcriptomics and metabolomics data, have been developed and are today available. The purpose of the present work was to uncover new genes and/or alleles that determine ascorbic acid and carotenoids accumulation, by exploiting one Solanum pennellii introgression lines (IL7-3) harboring quantitative trait loci (QTL) that increase the content of these metabolites in the fruit. The higher ascorbic acid and carotenoids content in IL7-3 was confirmed at three fruit developmental stages. The tomato genome reference sequence and the recently released S. pennellii genome sequence were investigated to identify candidate genes (CGs) that might control ascorbic acid and carotenoids accumulation. First of all, a refinement of the wild region borders in the IL7-3 was achieved by analyzing CAPS markers designed in our laboratory. Afterward, six CGs associated to ascorbic acid and one with carotenoids metabolism were identified exploring the annotation and the Gene Ontology terms of genes included in the region. Variants between the sequence of the wild and the cultivated alleles of these genes were investigated for their functional relevance and their potential effects on the protein sequences were predicted. Transcriptional levels of CGs in the introgression region were extracted from RNA-Seq data available for the entire S. pennellii introgression lines collection and verified by Real-Time qPCR. Finally, seven IL7-3 sub-lines were genotyped using 28 species-specific markers and then were evaluated for metabolites content. These analyses evidenced a significant decrease in transcript abundance for one 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase and one L-ascorbate oxidase homolog, whose role in the accumulation of carotenoids and ascorbic acid is discussed. Comprehensively, the reported results demonstrated that combining genetic and genomic resources in tomato, including bioinformatics tools, was a successful strategy to dissect one QTL for the increase of ascorbic acid and carotenoids in tomato fruit.

Screening of Carotenoids in Tomato Fruits by Using Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array-Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry Detection.

This paper presents an analytical strategy for a large-scale screening of carotenoids in tomato fruits by exploiting the potentialities of the triple quadrupole-linear ion trap hybrid mass spectrometer (QqQLIT). The method involves separation on C30 reversed-phase column and identification by means of diode array detection (DAD) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). The authentic standards of six model compounds were used to optimize the separative conditions and to predict the chromatographic behavior of untargeted carotenoids. An information dependent acquisition (IDA) was performed with (i) enhanced-mass scan (EMS) as the survey scan, (ii) enhanced-resolution (ER) scan to obtain the exact mass of the precursor ions (16-35 ppm), and (iii) enhanced product ion (EPI) scan as dependent scan to obtain structural information. LC-DAD-multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) chromatograms were also acquired for the identification of targeted carotenoids occurring at low concentrations; for the first time, the relative abundance between the MRM transitions (ion ratio) was used as an extra tool for the MS distinction of structural isomers and the related families of geometrical isomers. The whole analytical strategy was high-throughput, because a great number of experimental data could be acquired with few analytical steps, and cost-effective, because only few standards were used; when applied to characterize some tomato varieties ('Tangerine', 'Pachino', 'Datterino', and 'Camone') and passata of 'San Marzano' tomatoes, our method succeeded in identifying up to 44 carotenoids in the 'Tangerine'" variety.

High-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry for the analysis of carotenoids in tomato fruit: validation and comparative evaluation towards UV–VIS and tandem mass spectrometry

In this study, a generic extraction protocol and full-scan high-resolution Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS) detection method were developed, enabling the metabolomic screening for carotenoids in tomato fruit tissue. To this end, the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene (representing both xanthofylls and carotenes) were considered. The extraction procedure was optimized by means of a D-optimal design and consisted of a liquid-liquid extraction with methanol/tert-butyl methyl ether (1:1, v/v). The considered compounds were detected by a single-stage Exactive(TM) mass spectrometer, operating at a mass resolution of 100,000 full width at half maximum. The validation study demonstrated excellent performance in terms of linearity (R (2) > 0.99), repeatability (CV ≤ 10.6 %), within-laboratory reproducibility (CV ≤ 12.2 %), and mean corrected recovery (ranging from 85 to 106 %). Additionally, a comparative evaluation towards well-established detection techniques, i.e., tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS) photodiode array, indicated superior performance of high-resolution Orbitrap-MS with regard to specificity/selectivity and sensitivity (with limits of detection ranging from 1.0 to 3.8 pg μL(-1)). As a result, it may be concluded that high-resolution Orbitrap-MS is a suited alternative for UV-VIS or MS/MS in analyzing carotenoids and may offer significant value in carotenoid research because of the metabolomic screening possibilities.

Fast determination of prominent carotenoids in tomato fruits by CEC using methacrylate ester‐based monolithic columns

In this study, the major carotenoids (beta-carotene and lycopene) present in tomato fruits were analyzed by CEC with a methacrylate ester-based monolithic column. The effects of the porogenic solvent ratio, and the hydrophobicity of bulk monomer employed were examined on carotenoids separations. A fast separation of these analytes was achieved in less than 5.0 min in a mobile phase containing 35% THF, 30% ACN, 30% methanol, and 5% of a 5 mM Tris aqueous buffer, pH 8, with lauryl methacrylate-based monoliths. The CEC method was evaluated in terms of detection limit and reproducibility (retention time, area, and column preparation) with values below 1.6 microg/mL and 7.2%, respectively. The proposed procedure was successfully applied to the determination of both carotenoids in fruits of several tomato-related species and its usefulness to analyze large series of samples for nutritional quality screening trials in tomato breeding programs is demonstrated. To our knowledge, this is the first work that exploits the powerful and user-friendly monolithic technology for quality breeding and germplasm evaluation program purposes.

Sensory and Objective Quality Attributes of Beta-carotene and Lycopene-rich Tomato Fruit

Consumer acceptance of fresh and processed tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) products is influenced by product appearance, flavor, aroma, and textural properties. Color is a key component that influences a consumer's initial perception of quality. Beta-carotene and lycopene are the principal carotenoids in tomato fruit that impart color. Analytical and sensory analyses of fruit quality constituents were conducted to assess real and perceived differences in fruit quality between orange-pigmented, high-beta-carotene cherry tomato genotypes and conventional lycopene-rich, red-pigmented cherry tomato cultivars. Thirteen sensory attributes were evaluated by untrained consumers under red-masking light conditions where differences in fruit color could not be discerned and then under white light. Panelists preferred the appearance of the red-pigmented cultivars when viewed under white light, but scored many of the other fruit-quality attributes of red- and orange-pigmented genotypes similarly whether they could discern the color or not. Irrespective of light conditions, significant genotype effects were noted for fruit appearance, sweetness, acidity/sourness, bitterness, tomato-like flavor, unpleasant aftertaste, firmness in fingers, juiciness, skin toughness, chewiness, bursting energy, and overall eating quality. Attributes whose scores differed between white and red-masking lights were intensities of tomato aroma, tomato-like flavor, sweetness, bursting energy, juiciness, and overall eating quality. The results demonstrated a color bias favoring red-pigmented fruit and highlight the influence that color has on perception of tomato fruit quality, particularly on tomato-like flavor, juiciness, and overall eating quality. Interactions between fruit chemical constituents likely influenced perceptions of quality. High-beta-carotene genotypes contained higher levels of sugars and soluble solids and equal or higher titratable acidity than the red-pigmented cultivars. Total volatile levels did not differ among genotypes; however, several individual volatiles were significantly higher in high-beta-carotene genotypes.

Biosynthesis of carotenoids in the tomato fruit

The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on the biosynthesis of carotenoids in detached fruits of the “lutescent” tomato harvested at different stages of maturity was studied. DMSO inhibited the synthesis of both the acyclic and cyclic carotenoids in fruits treated prior to the lutescent stage. When more mature fruits were used the β-carotene content was not affected by DMSO while the levels of all other carotenoids examined significantly decreased. The pigment distribution in the fruit of the high-beta tomato genetic line was also studied. The high-beta fruit contained more β-zeacarotene and γ-carotene than the fruit of the normal red tomato “Summer Sunrise” of comparable ripeness. Treatment with DMSO inhibited the synthesis of both the acyclic and cyclic carotenoids in the high-beta tomato fruit.