Abstract:
In this study, fifteen commercial varieties, nine exotic genotypes, and three w
ild species
of tomato grown in Eastern India were analyzed for variations in different
phytochemicals
viz
. ascorbic acid, lycopene, total carotenoids, total phenolics content and
total antioxidant capacity. Selected genotypes showed significant differences
with respect
to phytochemical composition. Among antioxidant property parameter, ascorbic acid
content ranged between 12.62 to 76.15 mg 100 g
-
1
of Fresh Weight (FW), whereas, the
total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity varied from 41.10 to 1
39.59 mg GAE
100 g
-
1
of FW and 1.16 to 4.52 μmol Trolex Equivalent (TE) g
-
1
of FW, respectively.
Among carotenoid parameters, lycopene and total carotenoids content in whole tomato
fruit ranged between 0.47 to 5.48 and 1.14 to 5.79 mg 100 g
-
1
of FW, respec
tively.
Interestingly, it was found that, among the evaluated genotypes, Exotic Collection (EC
lines) showed significant enriched amount of these phytochemicals. Results indicated that
the maximum ascorbic acid (76.15 mg 100 g
-
1
FW), total phenolics conten
t (139.59 mg
GAE 100 g
-
1
of FW), and total antioxidant capacity (4.52 μmol TE g
-
1
of FW) was highest
in exotic collection EC 528372, while, lycopene (5.48 mg 100 g
-
1
of FW) and total
carotenoids content (5.79 mg 100 g
-
1
of FW) were recorded highest in cult
ivar Rio
Grande. Thus, this group of screened genotypes consisting of phytochemical rich wild
species and exotic collection can be further used for improvement of functional quality of
tomato in future breeding programs of India and the Indo Gangetic regio
n.
Keywords
: Antioxidant, Ascorbic acid, Carotenoid parameters, Lycopene.
