Highest Lycopene Content Research Articles

Influence of the Techniques and Degrees of Ripeness on the Nutritional Qualities and Carotenoid Profiles of Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum).

Abstract Tomato is a significant vegetable crop with numerous health benefits derived from its carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytonutrients contents. This work studies the nutritional qualities and carotenoids contents of five different cultivars of tomatoes (San Marz, Nasmata, Roma VF, Ogbomoso local and 4-lobes). The variations of pH, titratable acidity, reducing sugar, total solid, lycopene and beta-carotene contents of these tomatoes were investigated under ambient temperature and field ripening techniques and the mean values of these parameters investigated at different ripening stages and techniques were compared. Lycopene contents were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in tomatoes subjected to field ripening compared with those ripened under ambient temperature. The highest lycopene content (17.18 μg/g) was observed in Roma VF cultivar at fully-ripe stage under field ripening technique while the lowest value (0.64 μg/g) was in 4-lobes cultivar at semi-ripe stage under ambient temperature ripening. Similar trend was observed in the variation of betacarotene (a pro-Vitamin A index) among the tomato cultivars. The evaluated reducing sugar contents (ranging from 1.84 to 5.23 μg/g) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fully-ripe tomatoes compared to semi-ripe ones under field ripening and the trend was reversed for some cultivars under ambient temperature ripening. The titratable acidities of the tomatoes were significantly higher at the semi-ripe stage (0.24 to 0.38 %) under field ripening than those obtained under ambient temperature ripening (0.15 to 0.25 %). The pH of the tomatoes ranged from 3.58 to 4.07 and 3.46 to 5.40 under field and ambient temperature ripening, respectively, and the higher pH values obtained under ambient temperature ripening condition could make such tomatoes unsuitable in tomato processing plants. Consumption of tomatoes for the purpose of dietary antioxidant lycopene and pro-Vitamin A could maximally be achieved at fully-ripe stage under field ripening condition.

Sensory and functional quality characterization of protected designation of origin ‘Piennolo del Vesuvio’ cherry tomato landraces from Campania-Italy

Compositional characterization was performed on seven ‘Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio’ (PPV) tomato landraces, a signature product of Campania (Italy) threatened by genetic erosion. Characterization encompassed determinations of macro-minerals, soluble carbohydrates, starch, acidity, lycopene, polyphenols, anthocyanins, protein and free amino acids. Exceptionally high dry matter (13.0 ± 0.2%) and sugar content (101.3 ± 3.8 μmol g−1 fw) and very low (0.007–0.009) Na/K ratio were invariably obtained across landraces, contrasted by significant variation in acidity (28.5–3.9 g kg−1 dw). Giagiù, Acampora and Riccia San Vito differentiated by high polyphenols content (131.8 ± 2.5 mg 100 g−1) while Acampora, Cozzolino and Fofò by high lycopene content (13.3 ± 10.6 mg 100 g−1 fw). Glutamate, GABA and glutamine represented 65% of the 22 detected amino acids mean total content. Glutamate, linked to umami taste, was highest (19.2 µmol g−1 fw) in Fofò. Our results will contribute towards the systematic documentation of sensory and functional quality profiles of an important collection of tomato landraces.

Biochemical Characterisation and Sensory Evaluation of Differently Coloured and Shaped Tomato Cultivars

Antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, colour, sugar, volatiles, ascorbic acid and carotenoid (β-carotene and lycopene) contents of differently coloured and shaped tomato cultivars (cvs) grown in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Turkey were determined, along with a sensory evaluation. Tomato cultivars of two different types (cherry and beefsteak) and four different colours (red, yellow, orange and brown) were analysed. All plants were simultaneously grown in the same field and subjected to identical horticultural practices to minimise the effects of environmental conditions and to maximise those related to genotype. The red cherry cultivar had the highest lycopene content, while the orange beefsteak cultivar had the highest β-carotene content. The highest antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and hardness scores were found in cherry-type tomatoes, except the yellow one. The red cherry cultivar had the highest sugar content. Red and brown cherry cultivars were also significant in terms of their high carotenoid and sugar contents, along with a high antioxidant activity. The brown cherry cultivar had the highest total phenol content. The highest quantities of 2-hexenal, 3-hexen-1-ol, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one were detected in red cultivars. The brown cherry cultivar had the highest sweetness, typical aroma and hardness scores, while the yellow beefsteak cultivars the lowest sweetness typical aroma scores. In terms of sensory parameters, red and brown cultivars scored higher than yellow and orange ones.
 
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 In press - Online First. Article has been peer reviewed, accepted for publication and published online without pagination. It will receive pagination when the issue will be ready for publishing as a complete number (Volume 47, Issue 3, 2019). The article is searchable and citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI link will become active after the article will be included in the complete issue.
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Citrulline and Arginine Are Moderately Heritable in Two Red-fleshed Watermelon Populations

Watermelon fruit [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Matsum & Nakai] is a natural source of phytonutrients, including lycopene, citrulline, and arginine. Two segregating, highly outcrossed North Carolina watermelon populations, NC High Yield (NCHYW) and NC Small Fruit (NCSFW), were evaluated for these traits and for indicators of ripeness (pH and soluble solids content). Parents tested in 2015 (NSF = 300, NHY = 300) were sampled for the above and offspring were tested in 2016 if the sampled fruit of the parents were of qualifying ripeness [soluble solids concentration (SSC) ≥8, pH 5.5–6.5], resulting in 251 families (NSF = 72, NHY = 175). Narrow-sense heritability was estimated in each of the populations using the methods of 1) parent-offspring regression and 2) variance of half-sibling family means. Heritability for citrulline in NCHYW was moderate in both parent-offspring and half-sibling estimations (38% and 43%), as was arginine (40% and 44%) and lycopene (46% and 47%, respectively). Estimates for these traits in NCSFW were considerably different, with parent-offspring and half-sibling estimations for citrulline (65% and 22%), arginine (9% and 20%), and lycopene (44% and 68%). In NCHYW, moderate phenotypic correlations were found between SSC and citrulline (0.40), arginine (0.40), their combination (0.45), and lycopene (0.30) all of which were significant, except lycopene. Lycopene was significantly and weakly correlated to citrulline (0.22), but was not correlated to arginine (0.06). Similar correlations were found in NCSFW; SSC was significantly correlated to citrulline (0.24), arginine (0.18), and their combination (0.23), whereas lycopene was slightly correlated to citrulline (0.15) and not significantly correlated to arginine. Based on these heritabilities and phenotypic correlations, tandem selection for high lycopene and citrulline content may be accomplished efficiently using progeny rows with minimal replication using the NCSFW population, whereas replication with multiple years, rows, and locations may be necessary for creating stable lines using the NCHYW population.

Impact of partial root-zone drying on growth, yield and quality of tomatoes produced in green house condition

Water resources are limited for irrigation worldwide especially for the arid and semi-arid regions; therefore, there is an urgent need to reassess an alternative technique for conventional irrigation. Partial root-zone drying (PRD) is considered a new water-saving irrigation technique which has been tested for some crop species. The PRD technique simply requires wetting half of the rooting zone and leaving the other half dry, thereby utilizing reduced amount of irrigation water. The wetted and dry sides are interchanged in the subsequent irrigations. The focus of this article is to evaluate the effect of PRD on growth, yield and quality of tomatoes as compared to conventional irrigation. To evaluate the effect of PRD, a greenhouse experiment was conducted where two irrigation treatments were tested during a 160-day growing period: (1) control treatment where drip irrigation was applied to both sides of the plants; (2) PRD treatment in which half of the irrigation water in drip irrigation was given alternately only to one side of the root system with each irrigation. PRD treatment had 15% and 7% decreases in shoot fresh weight and leaf area of plant, respectively; however, PRD had 20% higher fruit per cluster and 18% increase in fruit production in comparison to the control treatment. No significant difference was detected on fruit size between PRD treated plants and control plants. But, fruits from PRD treated plant exhibited better appearance, higher lycopene content, firmness, total soluble solid (TSS), and TSS/titratable acidity (TA) ratio than control ones. Fruit from control treatment contained higher chlorophyll content than fruit from the PRD treatment. Postharvest storage results indicated that higher percentage of rot and chilling injury were observed in control fruits than PRD treated fruits. The results of this study indicated that PRD is a promising water saving irrigation technique which is able to produce higher yield and better quality tomatoes than conventional drip irrigation.

Pink grapefruit lycopene encapsulated in alginate‐based beads: stability towards freezing and drying

SummaryAlginate‐based beads containing lycopene extract were produced with the addition of various sugars and biopolymers. In present work, lycopene stability was studied on beads subjected to thermal treatments: continuous freezing (−18 °C, 30 days), four freezing/thawing (f/t) cycles, dehydration by vacuum‐ and freeze‐drying. The progress of crystallisation was assessed using transversal relaxation times (T2) obtaining isothermal curves at different temperatures. Alginate beads containing trehalose with β‐cyclodextrin and arabic gum retained a high lycopene content (>80%) after freezing and drying, regardless of the freezing or drying method. Instead, beads containing only alginate showed sever lycopene decrease in all cases. Continuous freezing affected both lycopene content and stability to a higher extent than f/t cycles. Isothermal studies revealed the lower amount of crystallised water in beads containing trehalose (with or w/o other excipients), reducing also the time to arrive at the 50% of crystallisation during freezing.

Lycopene andβ-carotene content during growth of ‘Manee-Esan’ pummelo (Citrus grandis(L.) Osbeck) fruit

'Manee-Esan' is a new promising pummelo cultivar of the northeast of Thailand. This cultivar was locally found in the orchard at Baan Bung 14 Tambon Nonthong, Amphoe Kasetsomboon, Chaiyaphum province in the northeast of Thailand. The flesh of this cultivar has an attractive deep red color. It is believed that it is rich in antioxidants, especially lycopene and β-carotene. The taste of the fruit is sweet with a slight acidity. However, there was no scientific information supporting its quality, especially its harvest maturity. The research that was conducted was given the name: “Production System of Quality Pummelo for Identifying Creation of Chaiyaphum Pummelo” and was supported by the Thailand Research Fund and Khon Kaen University during 2015-2017. It was conducted to determine the content of lycopene and β-carotene, as well as the total soluble solid and total titratable acidity during fruit growth. The results showed that during fruit growth between 150-300 d after full bloom (DAFB), the content of lycopene, β-carotene, and the total soluble solid gradually increased (2.75-8.65 mg 100 g-1 FW, 0.90-2.55 mg 100 g-1 FW and 9.89-10.34%, respectively) while the Hue angle, titratable acidity and pulp firmness gradually decreased (42.67-20.64, 1.32-0.66% and 54.13-17.77 N cm-2, respectively). Lycopene and β-carotene reached the maximum content on the 270th DAFB (8.65 and 2.55 mg 100 g-1 FW, respectively) and no significantly decrease on the 300th DAFB (7.13 and 2.31 mg 100 g-1 FW, respectively). The total soluble solid content reached the maximum (10.34%) on the 240th DAFB, there was nog no significant decrease on the days that followed (10.26 and 10.17%). The top most ratio of TSS/TA (15.54) was also found on the 270th DAFB followed by the second most ratio on the 240th DAFB (14.98). However, the granulation of the pulp was found on the 270th DAFB. It should be concluded that to have a good taste and high content of lycopene, β-carotene and total soluble solids, 'Manee-Esan' pummelo should be harvested at 240th DAFB.

Analysis and expression of the carotenoid biosynthesis genes from Deinococcus wulumuqiensis R12 in engineered Escherichia coli

Deinococcus wulumuqiensis R12 is a red-pigmented extremophilic microorganism with powerful antioxidant properties that was isolated from radiation-contaminated soil in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The key carotenoid biosynthesis genes, crtE, crtB and crtI, which are related to the cells’ antioxidant defense, were identified in the sequenced genome of R12 and analyzed. In order to improve the carotenoid yield in engineered Escherichia coli, the origin of carotenoid biosynthesis genes was discussed, and a strain containing the R12 carotenoid biosynthesis genes was constructed to produce lycopene, an important intermediate in carotenoid metabolism. The gene order and fermentation conditions, including the culture medium, temperature, and light, were optimized to obtain a genetically engineered strain with a high lycopene production capacity. The highest lycopene content was 688 mg L−1 in strain IEB, which corresponds to a 2.2-fold improvement over the original recombinant strain EBI.

Study of encapsulation parameters to improve content of lycopene in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) powders

The aim was to examine conditions of convective drying and spray-drying to improve preservation of lycopene content in tomatoes. The weight, size, colour, pH and °Brix values were evaluated in fresh fruit (FF) and colour (L, a, b), hue, and chrome indices were analysed from dried tomatoes, too. Tomato paste was dried (40, 50, 60, and 80 °C with times of 540, 390, 270, and 240 min) under convection conditions and pulverized. In the encapsulation treatments core material with tomato powders of 50, 60, and 70%, shell solution of maltodextrin/gum arabic 1:1, flow rate of 4, 6, 9, and 12 ml min–1, and inlet air T of 160, 170, and 180 °C were used. The physicochemical properties of FF corresponded to a degree of ripeness for consumption. The a, a/b, and hue values of dried tomatoes at 50 °C significantly correlated to red colouring and higher lycopene content (47.98±1.49 mg/100 g). The encapsulation with 50% and 60% of tomato powders, 170 °C and 9 ml min–1 treatments increased lycopene contents to 10.41 mg/100 g, 10.20 mg/100 g, and 11.51 mg/100 g, respectively. The results demonstrated that the physicochemical and functional properties were influenced by drying conditions, providing useful information for increasing the stability of lycopene in dried tomatoes.

Stacking of mutant genes in the development of “purple tomato” rich in both lycopene and anthocyanin contents

Abstract A conventional breeding approach was framed to combine lycopene enhancing mutant gene, dg or hp-2dg and anthocyanin synthesizing gene, Aft in one genotype in maximizing the accumulation of both lycopene and anthocyanin pigment in tomato fruit. This breeding scheme involves one crossing, Alisa Craig AftAft × BCT-115 dgdg followed by two selfings for selection of the desirable double homozygous genotype, AftAft dgdg, the “Purple tomato” based on morphological marker characters conditioned by two genes, dark green fruit of dgdg due to very high total chlorophyll content (18.19 mg/100 g fresh weight) and purple colour for anthocyanin pigment of Aft- gene. Lycopene content in ripe fruits of BCT-115 dgdg (6.22 mg/100 g fresh weight) was 62.41% higher compared to Alisa Craig Aft/Aft while that of Alisa Craig AftAft had high anthocyanin content (14.51 mg/ 100 g fresh weight) contrary to nil in BCT 115 dgdg. Segregation pattern confirmed the expected 3:1 ratio for single dominant Aft gene and 1:3 ratio for single recessive dg gene. The F2 segregates could be grouped into 5 phenotypic classes in the ratio of 6:3:3:3:1 instead of usual 9:3:3:1 in digenic segregation due to variable expression of anthocyanin in the homozygous (Aft Aft) and heterozygous (Aft aft) genotype. Of the selfed progeny of the 34 desirable F2 segregates (dark green fruit with intense anthocyanin pigmentation) clustered in the Group-1 family (F3 population), 9 segregates bred true confirming the presence of two targeted genes in homozygous condition, AftAft dgdg, the “Purple tomato line”. This breeding approach proved to be a viable option to develop a new variety “Purple tomato” with unique combination of high lycopene (6.13 mg/100 g fresh weight), anthocyanin (20.73 mg/100 g fresh weight) and ascorbic acid (31.56 mg/100 g fresh weight) contents.

Breeding tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Low productivity in India is due to occurrence of both biotic and abiotic stresses. Among the biotic stresses, tomato leaf curl disease, bacterial wilt, early blight and Groundnut Bud Necrosis Virus disease have become serious production constraints causing considerable yield loss in the major tomato growing areas of the country. Adoption of multiple disease resistant varieties or F1 hybrids would be the most appropriate way to address these diseases. At ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru systematic breeding strategies were employed to pyramid genes for resistance to early blight, bacterial wilt and tomato leaf curl diseases and to develop advanced breeding lines& F1 hybrids with triple disease resistance. Stable source of resistance to early blight and bi-partite begomo-virus (Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus) has been identified in Solanum habrochaites LA-1777. Validation with molecular markers linked to tomato leaf curl virus resistance revealed that LA-1777 carryTy2 and other putative resistant genes. Several high yielding dual purpose hybrids were also developed for fresh market and processing with high level of resistance to multiple diseases. Cherry tomato lines have also been bred for high TSS, total carotenoids, total phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, acidity and lycopene content. IIHR-249-1, IIHR-2101 (Solanum habrochaites LA-1777), IIHR- 2866 and IIHR-2864 recorded high values for quality parameters like total carotenoids, lycopene, vitamin C, total phenols, flavonoids and TSS. Drought tolerant root stock has been developed by an interspecific cross between S. habrochaites LA-1777 and S. lycopersicum (15 SB SB). Resistant sources have also been identified against Tuta absoluta, a serious insect pest reported from major tomato growing areas in the country in recent time. High temperature tolerant breeding lines are in pipe line.

Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Natural Antioxidants in Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Products

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of various cooking methods on antioxidant content and radical scavenging activity of pumpkin. Three heat treatments were applied, namely,blanching, and stir frying for cubes(1.5×1.5×1.5 cm) and roasting for slices (0.5mm) to produce soup, juice and roasted pumpkin. The results indicated that carotenoids content ranged between 11,07 IU/100g (soup) and 892 IU/100g (juice).Roasted product exhibited significantly (P≤0.05) the least flavoniod content (12.09g/kg), while soup possessed significantly (P≤0.05) the highest content(17.96 g/Kg). Lycopene content (0.15 mg/100g) was found to be significantly(P≤0.05)the least (in soup produced from cubes blanched for 4 mins). In contrast, the counterpart raw juice had significantly (P≤0.05) the highest lycopene content (0.70mg /100g). Total polyphenols content of stir fried product was significantly (P≤0.05) the least(406.25 g/kg), while roasted product exhibited significantly (P≤0.05) the highest polyphenols content (670.18g/kg). It was obvious that raw juice possessed significantly (P≤0.05) the highest DPPH (63.79%), on contrary to roasted product being significantly (P≤0.05) the least antioxidant activity as assessed by DPPH method (30.31 %).The H2O2 scavenging (2.85 %) was found to be significantly (P≤0.05) the highest ( in soup produced from cubes blanched for 4 min) .While, the raw juice has significantly(P≤0.05)the least H2O2 scavenging (0.32%).So, It is necessary to apply the most proper cooking conditions (temperature and cooking time) to avoid any degradation of the bioactive compounds present in pumpkin. The results revealed the superiority of blanching process since it maintained the bioactive compoundsin pumpkin without any deteriorative effects.

Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Natural Antioxidants in Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Products

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of various cooking methods on antioxidant content and radical scavenging activity of pumpkin. Three heat treatments were applied, namely,blanching, and stir frying for cubes(1.5×1.5×1.5 cm) and roasting for slices (0.5mm) to produce soup, juice and roasted pumpkin. The results indicated that carotenoids content ranged between 11,07 IU/100g (soup) and 892 IU/100g (juice).Roasted product exhibited significantly (P≤0.05) the least flavoniod content (12.09g/kg), while soup possessed significantly (P≤0.05) the highest content(17.96 g/Kg). Lycopene content (0.15 mg/100g) was found to be significantly(P≤0.05)the least (in soup produced from cubes blanched for 4 mins). In contrast, the counterpart raw juice had significantly (P≤0.05) the highest lycopene content (0.70mg /100g). Total polyphenols content of stir fried product was significantly (P≤0.05) the least(406.25 g/kg), while roasted product exhibited significantly (P≤0.05) the highest polyphenols content (670.18g/kg). It was obvious that raw juice possessed significantly (P≤0.05) the highest DPPH (63.79%), on contrary to roasted product being significantly (P≤0.05) the least antioxidant activity as assessed by DPPH method (30.31 %).The H2O2 scavenging (2.85 %) was found to be significantly (P≤0.05) the highest ( in soup produced from cubes blanched for 4 min) .While, the raw juice has significantly(P≤0.05)the least H2O2 scavenging (0.32%).So, It is necessary to apply the most proper cooking conditions (temperature and cooking time) to avoid any degradation of the bioactive compounds present in pumpkin. The results revealed the superiority of blanching process since it maintained the bioactive compoundsin pumpkin without any deteriorative effects.

Electronic tongue discrimination of four tomato cultivars harvested at six maturities and exposed to blanching and refrigeration treatments

The objective of this research was to evaluate whether an electronic tongue (e-tongue) could differentiate “taste” profiles of full ripe tomato fruit of different cultivars, harvest maturities, and exposure to refrigeration or blanching. The four cultivars included: two common commercial cultivars, ‘Tygress’ and ‘FL 47’, with round shape and firm texture; ‘Tasti-Lee’, a hybrid with high lycopene content due to the crimson gene for the premium tomato market; and ‘Cherokee Purple’, an heirloom cultivar that consistently ranked very high in taste tests. Commercially, tomatoes are often harvested at the mature green (MG) stage for the fresh fruit and food service markets, and traditional vine-ripe harvested tomatoes are generally sold directly at farmer’s markets. To assess the effect of harvest maturity on fruit flavor once the fruit are fully ripened, fruit were harvested at six maturities from MG to full red. ‘Tygress’, ‘FL 47’, and ‘Tasti-Lee’ fruit all had similar total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) content regardless of harvest maturity. Nonetheless, ‘Cherokee Purple’ had much higher TSS and TA at all but the MG harvest stage. E-tongue tests not only confirmed the differences detected in TSS/TA data, but also differentiated between the three commercial cultivars, and six harvest maturities. Both refrigeration and blanching are common kitchen practices and they were tested on ‘Tasti-Lee’ fruit for which some changes in the taste profiles were found by e-tongue, especially for the refrigeration treatment. E-tongue sensors ZZ, JE, BB, HA, and JB data correlated to TSS and TA, with significantly high correlations with TSS. E-tongue profiles not only significantly related to TSS, but successfully predicted TSS.

Evaluation of tomato fruit quality response to water and nitrogen management under alternate partial root-zone irrigation

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different water and nitrogen supply amounts on the comprehensive assessment of tomato fruit quality and root growth parameters under alternate partial root-zone irrigation. Three upper irrigation limitations (i.e. 70% (W1), 80% (W2) and 90% (W3) of field capacity, respectively) and three N-fertilizer levels (i.e. 0.18 (N1), 0.30 (N2) and 0.42 (N3) g/kg soil, respectively) were arranged with a randomized complete block design, and alternate partial root-zone irrigation method was applied. Results showed that fruit yields under deficit irrigation (W1 and W2) were decreased by 6.9% and 2.0% respectively compared with W3 under N1 level. Yields of tomato under W1N1 and W1N2 combinations were also reduced by 10.3% and 7.2%, respectively compared with W1N3 combination. Root dry weight, root length, root surface area and root volume were all increased in W1N2 treatment. According to two-way ANOVA, the root parameters except root dry weight, were extremely sensitive to water, nitrogen and the cross effect of the two factors. TSS (total soluble solids), SS (soluble sugars) and OA (organic acid) in the fruits increased with the decrease in irrigation water, OA and NC reduced with decreasing amount of nitrogen. Moreover, within an appropriate range, as more irrigation water and nitrogen were applied, the higher VC (vitamin C) and lycopene contents were identified in the fruits. Eventually, the combinational evaluation method (i.e. entropy method and gray relational analysis) showed that W2N2 ranked highest in comprehensive fruit quality. Therefore, considering the tradeoff between fruit comprehensive quality and yields, upper irrigation limitation of 80% θf and N-fertilizer of 0.30 g/kg soil with alternate partial root-zone irrigation was the optimal cultivation strategy for the greenhouse tomato in autumn-winter season in northwest China. Keywords: greenhouse tomato, alternate partial root-zone irrigation, water and nitrogen, root growth, comprehensive fruit quality DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20171005.2622 Citation: Yang H, Cao H X, Hao X M, Guo L J, Li H Z, Wu X Y. Evaluation of tomato fruit quality response to water and nitrogen management under alternate partial root-zone irrigation. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(5): 85–94.

Papaya carotenoids increased in Oxisols soils

The papaya fruit is healthy for humans as it contains high levels of antioxidants and provitamin A due to high lycopene and β-carotenes contents, respectively. The carotenoids were determined from papayas grown in three different locations—Kamphaeng Saen (KS), Sisaket (SK), and Tha Mai (TM)—and also the study investigated whether the Oxisols soil was capable of increasing the carotenoids content in the papaya fruit. The lycopene, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin contents were determined from four different ripening stages (mature green to fully ripe). Concomitantly, the transcript levels of five genes involved in carotenoids biosynthesis—phytoene desaturase (PDS), carotene desaturase (ZDS), lycopene-β-cyclase (LCY-B1 and LCY-B2), and β-carotene hydroxylase (B-CHX)—were investigated. Papayas grown at TM had the highest lycopene, which was supported by the high expression levels of PDS, ZDS and B-CHX and the lower expression levels of the two LCY-B genes; however the locations did not affect the fruit quality. The ‘Plak Mai Lai’ papaya was further investigated by being grown in one location but on two different soil types (Oxisols and Ultisols), to compare their carotenoids contents. Higher carotenoid contents were detected in the papaya grown in the Oxisols.

Comparative analysis of carotenoid content in Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) collected from Australia, Thailand and Vietnam

Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is the richest source of lycopene and β-carotene of all known fruits but the influences of collection sites, variety and environment on carotenoid accumulation is unknown. This study analysed the carotenoid content of 44 M. cochinchinensis aril samples collected from Australia, Thailand and Vietnam using HPLC, UV-visible spectrophotometry and compared with the colorimetry method. The highest lycopene content was observed in samples collected from Ha Noi (7.76mg/g) of Northern Vietnam and Lam Ha (6.45mg/g) and Lam Dong (6.64mg/g) provinces of Central Vietnam. The highest β-carotene content was observed in a sample from Nam Dinh (9.60mg/g) in Northern Vietnam while a variety from Hoa Binh province in Northern Vietnam had high contents of both lycopene (5.17mg/g) and β-carotene (5.66mg/g). Lycopene content was higher in samples collected from low temperatures (<14°C) and higher elevations whilst β-carotene content was greatest at temperatures between 27 and 33°C. Crop improvement for increased lycopene and β-carotene requires rapid and accurate methods of quantification. All three analytical methods utilised were in agreement for lycopene quantification. The (a*/b*)2 transformed colour value resulted in more linear relationship for lycopene indicating that colorimetry method could potentially be developed to select lycopene rich fruits in the field.

Inferring the Genetic Determinants of Fruit Colors in Tomato by Carotenoid Profiling.

Carotenoids are essential for plant and animal nutrition, and are important factors in the variation of pigmentation in fruits, leaves, and flowers. Tomato is a model crop for studying the biology and biotechnology of fleshy fruits, particularly for understanding carotenoid biosynthesis. In commercial tomato cultivars and germplasms, visual phenotyping of the colors of ripe fruits can be done easily. However, subsequent analysis of metabolic profiling is necessary for hypothesizing genetic factors prior to performing time-consuming genetic analysis. We used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), employing a C30 reverse-phase column, to efficiently resolve nine carotenoids and isomers of several carotenoids in yellow, orange, and red colored ripe tomatoes. High content of lycopene was detected in red tomatoes. The orange tomatoes contained three dominant carotenoids, namely δ-carotene, β-carotene, and prolycopene. The yellow tomatoes showed low levels of carotenoids compared to red or orange tomatoes. Based on the HPLC profiles, genes responsible for overproducing δ-carotene and prolycopene were described as lycopene ε-cyclase and carotenoid isomerase, respectively. Subsequent genetic analysis using DNA markers for segregating population and germplasms were conducted to confirm the hypothesis. This study establishes the usefulness of metabolic profiling for inferring the genetic determinants of fruit color.

A focus on high-lycopene tomato cultivars: horticultural performance and functional quality

Both transgenic and conventional breeding methods have been used to increase levels and diversify the profile of antioxidants in ripe tomato fruit. The high-pigment (hp) tomato mutants exemplify this approach, representing useful genetic resources to be introgressed into elite cultivars (high-lycopene cultivars) to simultaneously enhance the levels of different classes of antioxidants. Although several studies have been recently published on high-lycopene cultivars, information on their horticultural performance, processing attributes and functional quality is still scarce. In spite of the high content of lycopene, flavonoids and ascorbic acid, high-lycopene tomato cultivars are claimed to have poor horticultural performance, which limits their commercial acceptance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review their agronomic and horticultural performance briefly as well as to review the functional quality of some recently developed high-lycopene tomato cultivars. Experiments conducted in the Mediterranean region showed that all the assayed high-lycopene tomato cultivars ('HLY02', 'HLY13', 'HLY18', 'Kalvert' and 'Lyco 2', including the latest developed lines 'HLT-F61' and 'HLT-F62') were vigorous, with an excellent dark-green foliage cover and characterized by dark-green immature fruits without morphological aberrations. Tomato yield ranged from 110 to 152 t ha-1, exceeding in some trials the yield of the elite industrial tomato cultivars ('Perfectpeel', 'Rio Grande' and 'Donald'). The average fruit weight ranged from 70 to 93 g, and soluble solids content was higher than 6 °Brix in some cases, associated with desirable titratable acidity values (0.381 for 'HLY18'). Regarding the phytochemical profiles, experiments under different geographical and environmental conditions confirmed that all tested high-lycopene cultivars were characterized by enhanced synthesis and accumulation of carotenoids, mainly lycopene and β-carotene (more than 280 and 20 mg kg-1 fw, respectively), as well as of other valuable health-promoting molecules such as phenolics, flavonoids and vitamins. Thus, the central role of high-lycopene tomato cultivars in enhancing fruit pigmentation and functional quality, summarized in this report, justifies extended efforts and breeding programs to decrease some initial adverse pleiotropic effects on their horticultural performance.

ESRスピントラップ法によるトマトジュースの活性酸素消去能評価

Using the electron spin resonance spin trap method, we evaluated the ability of carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene) in tomato juice to scavenge hydroxyl radicals, alkoxy radicals, superoxide radicals, and singlet oxygen. The lycopene content in tomato juice highly contributed to its hydroxyl radical- and singlet oxygen-scavenging ability. This tendency was found to be particularly notable in dark-red tomato juice with high lycopene content. The contribution of β-carotene, whose content is high in yellow tomato juice, to the radical-scavenging ability was higher than that found in juice from tomatoes of other colors. The reactive oxygen species-scavenging ability of tomato juice was variable, suggesting that the scavenging ability depended on the types of carotenoids contained in the tomato.