Correlation of lycopene measured by HPLC with the L, a, b color readings of a hydroponic tomato and the relationship of maturity with color and lycopene content

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Laura) were separated, according to the ripening stage, by a sensory panel into seven groups, and color was measured on the tomato surface with a Minolta Chroma meter. The L, a, b, hue, chroma, and lycopene content were plotted against the maturity stages of the tomatoes, and several good correlations were found. The a/b ratio and the lycopene content were the parameters that allowed six of seven maturity groups in the tomato to be statistically distinguished. The lycopene content, measured by HPLC, was also correlated with the color measurements, and the a, a/b, and (a/b)(2) color factors produced the best regressions. An estimation of the lycopene content in tomatoes can be achieved by using a portable chroma meter, with a possible field usage application. Equations to calculate the lycopene content of tomatoes based on the color readings are reported.     

Free hydroxycinnamic acids, lycopene, and color parameters in tomato cultivars

Concentrations of antioxidant compounds (total phenolic compounds, free hydroxycinnamic acids, and lycopene) and color parameters ( a*, b*, and L*) were determined in 167 tomato samples belonging to five cultivars (Dorothy, Boludo, Dunkan, Dominique, and Thomas) produced on the island of Tenerife. Chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids were identified and quantified in the tomato samples. Chlorogenic acid had the highest mean concentration, whereas the p-coumaric was not detected in almost half of the tomato samples. The cultivar, cultivation method, and production region had little influence on the concentration of analyzed parameters. Considerable seasonal variations in the levels of these parameters were observed. Many correlations were observed between the antioxidant compounds and color parameters. The tomato samples tended to be differentiated according to the sampling period when discriminant analysis was applied.     

Carotenoid pigmentation affects the volatile composition of tomato and watermelon fruits, as revealed by comparative genetic analyses

Tomato near-isogenic lines differing in fruit carotenogenesis genes accumulated different aroma volatiles, in a strikingly similar fashion as compared to watermelon cultivars differing in fruit color. The major volatile norisoprenoids present in lycopene-containing tomatoes and watermelons were noncyclic, such as geranial, neral, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 2,6-dimethylhept-5-1-al, 2,3-epoxygeranial, (E,E)-pseudoionone, geranyl acetone, and farnesyl acetone, seemingly derived from lycopene and other noncyclic tetraterpenoids. Beta-ionone, dihydroactinodiolide, and beta-cyclocitral were prominent in both tomato and watermelon fruits containing beta-carotene. Alpha-ionone was detected only in an orange-fleshed tomato mutant that accumulates delta-carotene. A yellow flesh (r) mutant tomato bearing a nonfunctional psy1 gene and the yellow-fleshed watermelon Early Moonbeam, almost devoid of carotenoid fruit pigments, also lacked norisoprenoid derivatives and geranial. This study provides evidence, based on comparative genetics, that carotenoid pigmentation patterns have profound effects on the norisoprene and monoterpene aroma volatile compositions of tomato and watermelon and that in these fruits geranial (trans-citral) is apparently derived from lycopene in vivo.     

Changes in antioxidant content of tomato fruits in response to cultivar and nutrient solution composition

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cationic proportions (K/Ca/Mg) in the nutrient solution on fruit quality (quality attributes and antioxidant content) using a high-pigment, 'Lunarossa', tomato cultivar and a standard tomato cultivar ('Corfù') grown in soilless culture. Treatments were defined by a factorial combination of three nutrient solutions having different cationic proportions and two indeterminately growing round tomato cultivars. A high proportion of K in the nutrient solution increased the quality attributes (fruit dry matter, total soluble solids content) and the lycopene content of tomato fruit, whereas a high proportion of Ca improved tomato fruit yield and reduced the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER). The highest total antioxidant activity was observed in the treatment with a high proportion of Mg in the Lunarossa cultivar. The high-pigment hybrid has provided a higher antioxidant content (lycopene and alpha-tocopherol content) than the commercial hybrid, but it was more susceptible to BER and consequently less productive.     

超表达亚硫酸氧化酶基因对促进番茄果实亚硫酸盐氧化的研究

本研究以亚硫酸氧化酶基因（SO）超表达系（OE）、干扰系（Ri）及野生型（WT）的绿熟番茄果实为材料,经SO2熏蒸后,12℃低温贮藏,研究亚硫酸氧化酶基因的超表达,对番茄贮藏期间相对电导率、亚硫酸盐含量、番茄红素含量及成熟度的变化。结果表明,经SO2熏蒸后,Ri果实较WT果实表现为相对电导率增加,亚硫酸盐残留较多,番茄...     

Optimizing sampling of tomato fruit for carotenoid content with application to assessing the impact of ripening disorders

Color defines one aspect of quality for tomato and tomato products. Carotenoid pigments are responsible for the red and orange colors of tomato fruit, and thus color is also of dietary interest. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the relative importance of field sampling and analytical replication when measuring lycopene and beta-carotene in tomato fruit and (2) to determine the effect of yellow shoulder disorder (YSD) on the content of lycopene and beta-carotene in tomato juice and tissue. Our results show that increasing biological replications is an efficient strategy for reducing the experimental error associated with measurements of lycopene and beta-carotene. Analytical replications did not contribute significantly to observed variation, and therefore experimental efficiency will be gained by reducing analytical replications while increasing field replication. We found that YSD significantly reduces lycopene in affected tissue and in juice made from affected fruit. In contrast, beta-carotene concentrations were only reduced in affected tissue but were not significantly reduced in juice. With increasing interest in biofortified crops, modulating the carotenoid profile in tomato by minimizing YSD symptoms represents a strategy for improving tomato fruit quality that is currently supported by grower contract structure and processor grades.     

荧光粉激发型远红光LED植物灯对番茄生长的影响研究

为探究远红光对植物生长的影响,采用“燃烧法+高温二次烧结”的方法制备了ZnGa₂O₄:Cr³⁺,Ge⁴⁺,Li⁺(ZGO:Cr³⁺,Ge⁴⁺,Li⁺)荧光粉,将自制的荧光粉材料涂覆在410 nm的蓝紫光LED芯片上,封装成发射主峰位于710 nm左右的LED远红光器件,并进一步组装成LED植物生长灯作为直接光源。以番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)品种红矮生为试材,白光(W)为对照(CK),设置3个处理:T1:红蓝组合光(1R1B)加远红光(光质比为3:1);T2:红蓝组合光(1R1B);T3:白光加远红光(光质比为3:1),研究红蓝组合光(1R1B)和远红光对番茄生理周期、农艺性状、光合色素和番茄果实主要品质的影响。结果表明,与CK相比,T1处理可显著缩短番茄生理周期,T1、T2和T3处理对番茄农艺性状中的株高有抑制作用。添加远红光降低了光合色素的含量,但提高了番茄果实中可溶性糖、番茄红素和维生素C的含量,特别是在红蓝组合光与远红光的共同作用下,可溶性糖含量提高效果最明显,达到CK的3.3倍。添加远红光能够促进维生素C和番茄红素含量增加;红蓝组合光则有利于番茄红素的积累。综上,采用ZGO:Cr³⁺,Ge⁴⁺,Li⁺远红光荧光粉激发型LED植物灯能调控番茄开花时间,缩短其生理周期,提高番茄果实品质。本研究结果为提高番茄以及其他园艺作物的品质提供了一种新的光照手段,具有广阔的应用前景。     

Antioxidant composition in cherry and high-pigment tomato cultivars

Fourteen cultivars of cherry tomatoes and four cultivars of high-pigment tomato hybrids were cultivated in southern Italy, and the red-ripe fruits were analyzed for their content in different classes of antioxidants and for their antioxidant activity. Among the different cultivars, significant differences were found between lycopene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid), and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. LS203 and Corbus appear to be the cultivars with the highest content of lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants among cherry tomatoes, respectively. All cultivars of high-pigment tomato hybrids showed an expected exceptionally high lycopene content. Among them, the highest content of lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants was found in cv. HLY 13. Hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities were both significantly influenced by genotype. Such results highlight an existing unexploited variability in tomato germplasm and stress the need to evaluate the biodiversity and to support conventional breeding programs to improve tomato nutritional value.     

Change in carotenoids and antioxidant vitamins in tomato as a function of varietal and technological factors

The change in the carotenoid and bioantioxidant content of tomato as a function of varietal and technological factors was investigated in the present work. No great differences were found between cultivars for fresh consumption (salad tomatoes) and those for processing in ascorbic acid content. The concentration of ascorbic acid ranged between 14.6 and 21.7 mg/100 g fresh weight of ripe tomato fruit. Processing cultivars contained higher amounts of tocopherols, particularly alpha-tocopherol than tomatoes for fresh consumption. Significant differences could be obtained between the examined varieties with regard to carotenoid concentration. The different tomatoes varied not only in the total carotenoid content but also in the qualitative distribution of some pigments such as lycopene, beta-carotene and lutein. During heat-based processing, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and carotenoids showed different role and response. Ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol quinone, and beta-carotene were the most susceptible components toward thermal degradation.     

Multivariate approach to the measurement of tomato maturity and gustatory attributes and their rapid assessment by Vis-NIR spectroscopy

Standard methods for determining quality and maturity are time- and labor-consuming and generally measure individual criteria at a specific time, without considering relationships among quality parameters. To propose a rapid and nondestructive analysis method describing multidimensional quality variables, an experiment was undertaken with mature green to overripe tomato fruits found on the North American retail markets. Factor analysis was used to analyze results. Four factors were considered, representing 81% of total variance. The first one, tomato maturity stage (TMS), is related to color, lycopene content, firmness, titratable acidity (TA), pH, and soluble solids (SS). Nondestructive rapid assessment by vis-NIR spectroscopy can predict TMS (r(2)=0.93). Factors 2 and 3 are both related to taste and should be considered simultaneously. Factor 2, called the gustatory index, is linked to electrical conductivity (EC), SS, TA, and pH. Factor 3, defined by SS, can be directly measured by a refractometer. Four categories of taste are proposed; the most desirable one ranks high both in soluble solids (above 4.5 degrees Brix) and in gustatory index (above 0). It was not possible to measure the gustatory index by vis-NIR spectroscopy (r(2)=0.17), but it can be estimated by EC, using a simple formula. The proposed limit between high and low gustatory index then corresponds to an EC of 5.4 mS/cm. Factor 4, variety, mostly discriminates the pink tomato type and field-grown samples from other varieties.     

Characterization of color fade during frozen storage of red grapefruit juice concentrates

Color changes in red grapefruit juice concentrates during storage at -23 degrees C for 12 months were studied. Concentrate (38 degrees Brix) was packed in both plastic (16 oz) and metal (6 oz) cans. Decrease in red intensity (CIE a) in juice color and slight increases in CIE L*, b*, and hue values from analysis of reconstituted juices were the characteristic color changes in concentrate during frozen storage. With respect to fresh concentrate, juice color in stored concentrate shifted toward the direction between negative DeltaC* and positive DeltaL*, indicating the color became slightly paler. A color difference seems to exist between the two containers, especially for the magnitude of DeltaE*; color changes were more pronounced in concentrates packed in plastic. There are significant changes (P < 0.05) in major carotenoid pigments (beta-carotene and lycopene) in the concentrates. More than 20% loss of lycopene and about 7% loss of beta-carotene occurred with plastic containers after a 12-month period. Regression analysis showed that the rate of decline was about 0.291 ppm per month (r = 0.990) for lycopene compared to 0.045 ppm (r = 0.817) for beta-carotene in concentrate stored in plastic. In the metal can, the same trends were observed but pigment losses were slightly smaller than those with plastic. An estimated shelf life for lycopene was 26.1 months in the metal can compared to 18 months in plastic. Shelf life for beta-carotene was more than 39 months, more than twice that of lycopene in plastic container.     

Estimation of the Deoxynivalenol and Moisture Contents of Bulk Wheat Grain Samples by FT‐NIR Spectroscopy

Deoxynivalenol (DON) levels in harvested grain samples are used to evaluate the Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance of wheat cultivars and breeding lines. Fourier transform near‐infrared (FT‐NIR) calibrations were developed to estimate the DON level and moisture content (MC) of bulk wheat grain samples harvested from FHB screening trials. Grains in a rotating glass petri dish were scanned in the 10,000–4,000 cm⁻¹ (1,000–2,500 nm) spectral range using a Perkin Elmer Spectrum 400 FT‐IR/FT‐NIR spectrometer. The DON calibration predicted the DON levels in test samples with R ² = 0.62 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 8.01 ppm. When 5–25 ppm of DON was used as the cut‐off to classify samples into low‐ and high‐DON groups, 60.8–82.3% of the low‐DON samples were correctly classified, whereas the classification accuracy of the high‐DON group was 82.3–94.0%. The MC calibration predicted the MC in grain samples with R ² = 0.98 and RMSEP = 0.19%. Therefore, these FT‐NIR calibrations can be used to rapidly prescreen wheat lines to identify low‐DON lines for further evaluation using standard laboratory methods, thereby reducing the time and costs of analyzing samples from FHB screening trials.     

Susceptibility of the tomato mutant high pigment-2dg (hp-2dg) to Orobanche spp. infection

The consumption of natural products with potential health benefits has been continuously growing, and enhanced pigmentation is of major economic importance in fruits and vegetables. The tomato hp-2 ( dg ) is an important mutant line that has been introgressed into commercial tomato cultivars marketed as lycopene rich tomatoes (LRT) because of their enhanced fruit pigmentation, attributed to higher levels of carotenoids, including lycopene. Strigolactones are signaling compounds that mediate host finding in root parasitic plants and are biosynthetically derived from carotenoids. Considering the high carotenoid content of the hp-2 ( dg ) mutant, we studied its susceptibility to the root parasite Orobanche. In a field experiment, the average number of Orobanche aegyptiaca plants growing on hp-2 ( dg ) was surprisingly significantly reduced compared with its isogenic wild-type counterpart. In vitro assays and LC-MS/MS analysis showed that this reduction was associated with a lower production of strigolactones, which apparently renders the high-carotenoid hp-2 ( dg ) mutant less susceptible to Orobanche.     

Effects of salinity stress on carotenoids, anthocyanins, and color of diverse tomato genotypes

One nonanthocyanin-accumulating (Ailsa Craig) and three anthocyanin-accumulating tomato genotypes (Anthocyanin fruit type, Atroviolaceum, and Sun Black) were analyzed to assess differences in their carotenoid and anthocyanin levels and color and to evaluate the effects of nutrient solutions with different salt concentrations on these parameters. The carotenoid content of control Atroviolaceum tomatoes was ca. 2-2.5-fold higher relative to the other two types, and the color of its puree could be visually distinguished from those of other genotypes. Salinity stress led in some cases to a 2-3-fold increase in the lycopene content. Saline treatment increased the accumulation of total anthocyanins in fruits of Sun Black (2-fold increase), while it reduced it in fruits of Anthocyanin (10-fold decrease). In general, the treatment increased the differences in color of different purees. These results indicate that salinity stress can lead to similar or higher increases in tomato carotenoids than those achieved by genetic engineering. In addition, these changes were accompanied by visually discernible color differences in tomato products. Our findings show the considerable potential of exploiting saline soils to obtain tomatoes with higher levels of secondary metabolites like carotenoids and anthocyanins.     

Prediction of wine color attributes from the phenolic profiles of red grapes (Vitis vinifera)

Knowledge about the relation between grape and wine phenolics is of key interest for the wine industry with respect to being able to predict wine quality from analyses of grapes. Prediction of the phenolic composition and color of experimentally produced red wines from the detailed phenolic composition of the corresponding grapes was investigated using a multivariate approach. Grape extracts and wines were produced from 55 different grape samples, covering 8 different Vitis vinifera cultivars: Alicante, Merlot, Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mourvedre. The phenolic composition of the grapes and wines showed that the average ratios between wine and grape phenolics ranged from 0.25 to 7.9 for the different phenolic compounds. Most interestingly, the average ratios were low for anthocyanins (0.31) and tannins (0.32), intermediate for (+)-catechin (0.75) and polymeric pigments (0.98), and high for gallic acid (7.9). Individual wine phenolics in general correlated well with several grape phenolics, indicating that a multivariate approach might be advantageous for prediction of wine phenolics from grape phenolics analysis. However the use of multivariate prediction of individual wine phenolics from the complete grape phenolic composition only improved the prediction of wine polymeric pigments, whereas wine anthocyanins were predicted with the same precision as from the direct relation with grape anthocyanins. Prediction of color attributes of pH normalized experimental wines from the phenolic profiles of grapes was accomplished using a multivariate approach. The correlation between predicted and measured total wine color was high ( r = 0.958) but was very similar to the correlation coefficient obtained for the direct relation between grape anthocyanins and total wine color ( r = 0.961). Color due to copigmentation, color due to anthocyanins, and color intensity were also predicted well.     

Development and Validation of Prediction Models for Rice Surface Lipid Content and Color Parameters Using Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy: A Basis for Predicting Rice Degree of Milling

Degree of milling (DOM) of rice plays a key role in determining rice quality and value. Therefore, accurate, nondestructive, quick, and automated surface lipid content (SLC) measurement would be useful in a commercial milling environment. This study was undertaken to provide calibration models for commercial use to provide quick and accurate evaluation of milled rice SLC and Hunterlab color parameters (L,a,b) as indications of rice DOM. In all, 960 samples, including seven cultivars from seven southern United States locations, stored for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6 months, were milled for four durations to obtain samples of varying DOM. The samples were used to develop calibration models of milled rice SLC and L,a,b values. Another sample set (n = 58) was commercially milled and used to validate the developed models. A DA 7200 diode array analyzer was used to scan milled rice samples in wavelength spectra of 950–1,650 nm. SLC and color parameters were measured using a Soxtec system and a HunterLab colorimeter, respectively. The partial least squares regression (PLS) method using the full near‐infrared spectra was used to develop prediction models for rice SLC and color parameters. Milled rice SLC was well fitted with a correlation of determination of predicted and measured values of (R² = 0.934). Color parameters were also successfully fitted for L (R² = 0.943), a (R² = 0.870), and b (R² = 0.855). Performance of the developed models to predict rice DOM was superior in predicting SLC and L,a,b values with R² predicted and measured values of 0.958, 0.836, 0.924, and 0.661, respectively.     

便携式番茄多品质参数可见/近红外检测装置研发

该文针对番茄独特的囊室结构及整体成熟度不均等问题,基于可见/近红外全透射光谱,研发了便携式番茄内外品质快速无损实时检测装置.该装置的硬件系统主要包括光源模块、信号采集模块、信号处理模块、电源模块、散热模块和打印模块,基于该硬件系统,采集了番茄630~1100 nm范围内可见/近红外透射光谱,选取650~1100 nm范围的光谱进行SG卷积平滑(savitzky-Golay smooth,SG-smooth)、标准正态变量变换(standard normal variable transformation,SNV)和多元散射校正(muliplication scattering correction,MSC)等预处理,建立了番茄颜色、硬度、总酸、总糖含量的偏最小二乘预测模型.基于QT开发框架编写了番茄多品质无损检测实时分析控制软件,植入番茄多品质参数预测模型,实现了番茄多品质参数检测一键式操作.为了测试该装置的检测精度和稳定性,选取与建模无关的20个同品种样品对每个样品的内外品质重复检测8次,结果表明:番茄颜色预测值与实测值相关系数为0.9528,均方根误差为2.7038,硬度预测值与实测值相关系数为0.9405,均方根误差为0.4486 kg/cm2,总酸含量的预测值与实测值相关系数为0.9537,均方根误差为0.3263%,总糖含量预测值与实测值相关系数为0.9610,均方根误差为0.1974%.番茄样品颜色、硬度、总酸和总糖重复检测最大相对误差分别为2.9%、1.9%、2.0%和1.6%.该便携式检测装置基于可见近红外全透射光谱,实现了番茄颜色、硬度、总酸、总糖含量的同时快速无损实时检测,预测精度及稳定性较好,可以满足实时评价番茄品质的市场需求.     

Detection of key factors in the extraction and quantification of lycopene from tomato and tomato products

The analytical process of lycopene extraction and photometrical determination was critically examined for raw tomato and processed tomato products by means of a 2 IV (15-10) Plackett-Burman experimental design in order to identify the key factors (KFs) involved. Fifteen apparent key factors (AKFs) reported in the literature were selected: sample weight (X1); volume of extraction solution (X2); antioxidant concentration (BHT, X3); neutralizing agent concentration (MgCO 3, X4); light presence during lycopene extraction (X5), homogenization velocity (X6) and time (X7), agitation time (X8), and temperature (X9) during the extraction process; water volume for separation of polar/nonpolar phases (X11); presence of inert atmosphere throughout the process (X12); time (X13), temperature (X14), and light presence (X10) during separation of phases and time delay for reading (X15). In general, higher lycopene concentrations in samples led to a higher number of key factors (KF). Thus, for raw tomato (lycopene range 1.22-2.29 mg/100 g) no KF were found, whereas for tomato sauce (lycopene range from 5.80 to 8.60 mg/100 g) one KF (X4) and for tomato paste (lycopene range from 35.80 to 51.27 mg/100 g) five KFs (X1, X2, X4, X11, and X12) were detected. For lycopene paste, X1 and X2 were identified as the KFs with the greatest impact on results, although in fact the X1/X2 ratio was the real cause. The results suggest that, with increased processing, the physical and chemical structure of lycopene becomes less important since the identified KFs explain almost 90% of variability in tomato paste but only 32% in raw tomato.     

Objective measurement of red grapefruit juice color

The color properties (CIE Lab, hue, and chroma) of 90 red grapefruit juices were studied by tristimulus reflectance measurement for two growing seasons. Juices were prepared from six red grapefruit cultivars including Ruby Red, Rio Red, Star Ruby, Ray Ruby, Flame, and Marsh Red grown in Florida. Very wide varietal and seasonal variations on juice color were observed, and most notably, CIE a values varied widely from -1.41 to 9.06 (CV = 82.6%). Lycopene is the major colored pigment in red cultivars with lesser amounts of beta-carotene as determined by HPLC on a carotenoid C(30) column with gradient elution using MeOH and MTBE. The highest correlation coefficients (r = 0.963) found between CIE a values and lycopene contents in juices from all cultivars combined suggest the possibility that the CIE a value would be a good indicator for pigmentation in red grapefruit juice.     

Kinetics of freshly squeezed orange juice quality changes during ozone processing

Freshly squeezed orange juice samples were ozonated with control variables of gas flow rate (0-0.25 L min (-1)), ozone concentration (0.6-10.0%w/w), and treatment time (0-10 min). Effects of ozone processing variables on orange juice quality parameters of pH, degrees Brix, titratable acidity (TA), cloud value, nonenzymatic browning (NEB), color values ( L*, a*, and b*), and ascorbic acid content were determined. No significant changes in pH, degrees Brix, TA, cloud value, and NEB ( p < 0.05) were found. L*, a*, and b* color values were significantly affected by gas flow rate, ozone concentration, and treatment time. The changes in lightness ( L*) values and total color difference (TCD) values were fitted well to zero-order kinetics, whereas a*, b*, and ascorbic acid degradation followed first-order kinetics. The rate constants for a*, b*, and TCD were linearly correlated with ozone concentration ( R (2) = 0.88-0.99), whereas the rate constants for L* and ascorbic acid were exponentially correlated ( R (2) = 0.94-0.98).