Effect of minimal processing on bioactive compounds and color attributes of fresh-cut tomatoes

• Published in: Food science & technology 2008-01, Vol.41 (2), p.217-226
• Main Authors: Odriozola-Serrano, Isabel, Soliva-Fortuny, Robert, Martín-Belloso, Olga
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antioxidant activity; Antioxidant capacity and color; antioxidants; ascorbic acid; Bioactive compounds; Biological and medical sciences; carbon dioxide; cold storage; color; cultivars; Food industries; food nutrient losses; food packaging; food storage; free radicals; fresh-cut foods; Fresh-cut tomato; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lycopene; Minimal processing; modified atmosphere packaging; nutritive value; oxygen; phenolic compounds; refrigeration; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; storage time; tomatoes
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2007.03.002

The feasibility of minimal processing and modified atmosphere packaging (5%O 2+5%CO 2) to preserve color attributes and bioactive compounds of fresh-cut tomato from different cultivars (Rambo, Durinta, Bodar, Pitenza, Cencara and Bola) was evaluated through storage under refrigeration. The phenolic compounds and vitamin C content of the six cultivars varied between 187.4 and 335.9 mg/kg fw and from 69.6 and to 212.3 mg/kg fw, respectively. The highest content of lycopene was found in Bodar tomatoes (80.5 mg/kg fw) while the concentration in the other cultivars ranged between 20.0 and 43.1 mg/kg fw. Antioxidant capacity, measured on the basis of the DPPH stable radical, was higher than 9.8% of DPPH inhibition. Neither the content of health-related compounds (lycopene, vitamin C and phenolic compounds) nor the antioxidant capacity changed significantly between whole and just-processed fresh-cut tomatoes. Furthermore the initial colors of fresh-cut tomatoes as well as vitamin C were maintained for 3 weeks under cold storage. The antioxidant capacity was well correlated with vitamin C and phenolic content, whereas lycopene was directly related to color measurements ( a *, L * and H *). Minimal processing maintains the main antioxidant compounds and color parameters of slices tomatoes for 21 days at 4 °C, thus preserving their initial nutritional value.