Phenolic profiles of cherry tomatoes as influenced by hydric stress and rootstock technique

• Published in: Food chemistry 2012-09, Vol.134 (2), p.775-782
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Rodríguez, Eva, Ruiz, Juan M., Ferreres, Federico, Moreno, Diego A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bioactive properties; Biological and medical sciences; Breeding - methods; crop quality; cultivars; Droughts; Flavonoids; Flavonoids - chemistry; Flavonoids - metabolism; Food industries; Fruit - chemistry; Fruit - genetics; Fruit - growth & development; Fruit - metabolism; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grafting; Hydroxycinnamic acids; Lycopersicon esculentum - chemistry; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Lycopersicon esculentum - growth & development; Lycopersicon esculentum - metabolism; nutritive value; phenolic acids; Phenols; Phenols - chemistry; Phenols - metabolism; rootstocks; Rutin; Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme; Tomato fruit; tomatoes; Water - metabolism; Water stress
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.02.180

► Grafting and water stress can influence the phenolic content of tomato fruits. ► Fruits of ZarxJos show the highest phenolic content under water stress. ► Grafting on specific rootstocks may be a tool to improve fruit quality. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of genetic and technological factors (cultivar and grafting) combined with the abiotic stress (water stress) on the content of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids classes and total phenolics) in cherry tomato. The identification and contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were determined by HPLC-MS in fruits on reciprocal grafting between a drought-tolerant cultivar (Zarina) and drought-sensible cultivar (Josefina), compared with both self-grafted and non-grafted plants. The results show how pre-harvest factors, such as grafting and water stress, can influence the phenolic content of tomato fruits. Phenolic compounds, including rutin that belongs to the group of flavonoids, display a remarkable array of biological and pharmacological activities. So, the richness of ZarxJos under water stress conditions with these compounds confirms its nutritional value and it can be used as a potential source of phenols. The results suggest that grafting on specific rootstocks more adapted to water stress conditions may be a tool to improve crop quality under artificially imposed mild water stress.