Carotenoid and phenolic profile of tomato juices processed by high intensity pulsed electric fields compared with conventional thermal treatments

The effect of high intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) processing (35 kV/cm for 1500 μs of overall treatment time with bipolar pulses of 4-μs at 100 Hz) and heat pasteurisation (90 °C for 30 s or 60 s) on carotenoids and phenolic compounds as well as on some quality attributes (pH, soluble solids and colour parameters) of tomato juice was evaluated and compared, having the untreated juice as a reference. Processing enhanced some carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene and phytofluene) and the red colour of juices, whereas no significant changes in phenolic compounds, pH and soluble solids were observed between treated and untreated juices. A slight decrease in overall health-related compounds was observed over time, with the exception of some carotenoids (β-carotene and phytoene) and caffeic acid. However, HIPEF-processed tomato juices maintained higher content of carotenoids (lycopene, neurosporene and γ-carotene) and quercetin through the storage time than thermally and untreated juices. Hence, the application of HIPEF may be appropriate to achieve not only safe but also nutritious and fresh like tomato juice.     

从番茄提取番茄红素与β-胡萝卜素的工艺研究

研究从番茄中提取、分离番茄红素与β-胡萝卜素的工艺技术。结果表明：在丙酮、石油醚、正己烷、乙酸乙酯4种溶剂中,丙酮对β-胡萝卜素和番茄红素的提取率最高。丙酮提取的次数以3次较为适宜。用中性氧化铝柱色谱,依次用石油醚与氯仿洗脱,可分离β-胡萝卜素与番茄红素。丙酮提取番茄类胡萝卜素的适宜工艺条件为：温度60℃、时间4h、pH值5、料液比1：5。     

Impact of Thermal and Pressure-Based Technologies on Carotenoid Retention and Quality Attributes in Tomato Juice

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of thermal processing (TP) (90 °C, 90 s), high-pressure processing (HPP) (600 MPa, 46 °C, 5 min), and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) (246 MPa, 99 °C, <1 s) on product quality parameters, specifically carotenoid content, and physicochemical attributes of particle size, color, viscosity, total soluble solids, and pH in tomato juice. Unprocessed tomato juice was used as control. The four major species of carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene, phytoene, and phytofluene) in tomato juice were analyzed by HPLC. The content of total lycopene, all-trans-lycopene, cis-lycopene isomers,  phytoene, and phytofluene, in TP-, HPP-, and HPH-treated tomato juice did not significantly differ from that in unprocessed (control) juice. Significant reduction in β-carotene content was observed after TP treatment but not after HPP and HPH treatments. HPH significantly reduced tomato juice particle volume mean diameter from ～330 μm in control, HPP-, and TP-treated tomato juices to ～17 μm. A concomitant increase in apparent viscosity was observed in HPH-treated juice versus control. HPH-treated juice had increased redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) than that in control and HPP-treated tomato juices. These results indicate that high-pressure-based technologies (HPP and HPH) can preserve carotenoids as well as improve physicochemical properties.     

Microstructure and bioaccessibility of different carotenoid species as affected by high pressure homogenisation: A case study on differently coloured tomatoes

The effect of high pressure homogenisation (HPH) on structure (Bostwick consistency, particle size distribution and microstructure) and carotenoid in vitro bioaccessibility of different tomato pulps was investigated. HPH decreased tomato particle size due to matrix disruption and increased product consistency, probably due to the formation of a fibre network. Homogenisation also resulted in a decrease of in vitro bioaccessibility of lycopene, ζ-carotene, and lutein. Such decrease was attributed to the structuring effect of HPH. An inverse relation between tomato consistency and carotenoid in vitro bioaccessibility was found. This dependency was affected by carotenoid species and its localisation within the matrix. It could be observed that one matrix (e.g. (homogenised) red tomato pulp) can contain carotenoids with a very low bioaccessibility (lycopene) as well as carotenoids with a very high bioaccessibility (lutein), indicating that carotenoid bioaccessibility is not solely dependent on the matrix.     

超临界CO_2萃取番茄红素的初步研究

近年的研究表明，番茄红素是一重要的类胡萝卜素。其功能在许多方面优于β－胡萝卜素。采用超临界ＣＯ２萃取技术从番茄加工副产品番茄皮中提取出番茄红素。研究了不同的压力、温度、流量和萃取时间对萃取率的影响。当萃取压力在１５～２５ＭＰａ，温度４０～５０℃，流量２０ｋｇ／ｈ，萃取１～２ｈ，既可将番茄皮中９０％以上的番茄红素萃取出来。     

Degradation of Lycopene and β‐carotene in Model Systems and in Lyophilized Guava during Ambient Storage: Kinetics,Structure, and Matrix Effects

ABSTRACT: Being highly unsaturated, carotenoids are susceptible to isomerization and oxidation during the processing and storage of food. In the present study, the degradation of acyclic lycopene and dicyclic β‐carotene in low‐moisture and aqueous model systems, as well as in lyophilized guava, during storage at ambient temperature, in the absence or presence of light, was investigated. Both carotenoids followed first order kinetics under the various conditions investigated. Lycopene degraded much faster than β‐carotene in all the model systems. In a comparison of lycopene isolated from guava, tomato, and watermelon, greater losses were observed with lycopene from tomato. Since the model system was identical in the 3 cases, these results indicated that other compounds from the food sources, co‐extracted with lycopene, might have influenced the oxidation. Light consistently and strongly promoted degradation under all conditions studied. The susceptibility of lycopene to degradation was much less in lyophilized guava than in the model systems, showing the marked protective influence of the food matrix. Loss of β‐carotene, found at a concentration of about 18 times lower than lycopene, was only slightly lower than that of lycopene in lyophilized guava, indicating that the effect of matrix and/or the initial concentration overshadowed the structural influence.     

Native carotenoids composition of some tropical fruits

Many tropical fruits can be considered a reservoir of bioactive substances with a special interest due to their possible health-promoting properties. The interest in carotenoids from a nutritional standpoint has recently greatly increased, because of their important health benefits. Here we report the native carotenoids composition in six tropical fruits from Panama, which is considered a region of great biodiversity. The native carotenoid composition was directly investigated by an HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS methodology, for the first time. In Corozo 32 different carotenoids were detected, including a high content of β-carotene and lycopene. Sastra showed the highest content of zeaxanthin among the fruit investigated. In Sapote 22 different carotenoids were detected, including β-carotene and 10 different zeaxanthin-di-esters. Frutita showed a very high content of the apo-carotenoid β-citraurin, and of a number of its esters. In Maracuyà chino 14 carotenoids were detected, including a high amounts of mono-esterified lauric acid with β-cryptoxanthin and with cryptocapsin. Mamey rojo was characterised by ketocarotenoids with κ rings, both hydroxylated and not hydroxylated.     

Behaviour of aroma volatiles during the evaporative concentration of some tropical fruit juices and pulps

The dynamics of aroma separation from some tropical fruit juices and pulps was studied using a thin film evaporator. In the case of mango (Mangifera indica Linn, Alphonso and Totapuri varieties) and guava (Psidium guajava Linn) pulps, 90% of each of the volatile fraction, esters, carbonyls and alcohols, was removed at 30–35% evaporation of the water in a single pass. In the case of pineapple (Ananas sativa Schult F) juice, 90% separation of esters and carbonyls required about 80% and 47% evaporation, respectively. However, the behaviour of alcohols in pineapple juice was found to be similar to that of mango and guava. Mango pulp from Alphonso and Totapuri varieties on 60% evaporation showed a loss in oxygenated terpenes of 80% and 63%, respectively, while guava pulp lost about 58% oxygenated terpenes on 60% concentration. The dynamics of the total aroma volatiles separation from the fruit juices and pulps showed that, in a single pass evaporation, 85–90% volatiles were removed at a juice evaporation degree of 60% water, while the same extent of aroma removal occurred at 32–35% total evaporation by multiple pass.     

Expression of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes and changes in carotenoids during ripening in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

To study the expression pattern of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes, changes in their expression at different stages of maturity in tomato fruit (cv. Arka Ahuti) were investigated. The genes regulating carotenoid production were quantified by a dot blot method using a DIG (dioxigenin) labelling and detection kit. The results revealed that there was an increase in the levels of upstream genes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway such as 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (Lyt B), phytoene synthase (PSY), phytoene desaturase (PDS) and ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS) by 2-4 fold at the breaker stage as compared to leaf. The lycopene and β-carotene content was analyzed by HPLC at different stages of maturity. The lycopene (15.33 ± 0.24 mg per 100 g) and β-carotene (10.37 ± 0.46 mg per 100 g) content were found to be highest at 5 days post-breaker and 10 days post-breaker stage, respectively. The lycopene accumulation pattern also coincided with the color values at different stages of maturity. These studies may provide insight into devising gene-based strategies for enhancing carotenoid accumulation in tomato fruits.     

Determination of Carotenoids in Fruits of Rosa sp. (Rosa Canina and Rosa Rugosa) and of Chokeberry (Aronia Melanocarpa)

Carotenoid composition of fruits of two Rosa species (Rosa canina and Rosa rugosa) and of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) was studied by high performance liquid chromatography. Nine carotenoids were determined: three carotenes (lycopene, ζ-carotene, β-carotene) and six xanthophylls (neoxanthin, trans-violaxanthin, cis-violaxan-thin, 5,6-epoxylutein, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin). This high number of compounds classified these fruits among those with the greatest variety of carotenoid pigments. Quantitatively large differences occurred in the carotenoid composition of the three fruits. Rosa hips contained the highest concentrations of total carotenoids, which were mainly comprised of lycopene and βcarotene. Conversely, total xanthophylls were low. In contrast to Rosa, fruits of Aronia were lower in total carotenoids while xanthophylls composed a higher proportion.     

Antioxidant activity of tomato lipophilic extracts and interactions between carotenoids and α-tocopherol in synthetic mixtures

In the present study we assayed the antioxidant activity of lipophilic extracts obtained from different tomato varieties. The results showed that cherry tomatoes, characterized by a high carotenoid content, had the highest antioxidant activity. A quantitative analysis of lycopene, β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol was also performed and the correlation between the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity was estimated. The highest correlation coefficient was found for lycopene (R² = 0.9236, P ≤ 0.001). The analysis of two-component mixtures containing α-tocopherol and carotenoids showed that significant synergism occurred for all the combinations which contained α-tocopherol and β-carotene mixed together. The highest synergistic effects were detected for α-tocopherol-lycopene mixtures, which were the most efficient combinations tested in the present study. The analysis of the carotenoid combinations indicated that synergism occurred for lycopene-β-carotene, lycopene-lutein and lutein-β-carotene mixtures. The analysis of four-component mixtures did not show statistically significant synergistic effects.     

Effects of electroplasmolysis treatment on chlorophyll and carotenoid extraction yield from spinach and tomato

In this study, the effects of electroplasmolysis on β-carotene, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b and total chlorophyll contents of spinach extract and β-carotene and lycopene contents of tomatoes extracts were investigated. Three different voltage gradients (40, 60, 80 V/cm) and three different application periods (4, 8, 12 s) were used. The effects of water bath heating at different temperatures on the extraction yield of colorants were also studied. After pre-treatments, β-carotene, lycopene, chlorophyll-a, and chlorophyll-b extraction was performed. Total solid content, pH and titratable acidity of the spinach and tomato samples were also determined.In spinach, the highest extraction yield efficiency for β-carotene (19.7%) was obtained by water bath heating. The extraction yield efficiencies for chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b and total chlorophyll were 14.9%, 12.6% and 13.7% respectively, by the electroplasmolysis treatment at 60 V/cm for 8 s. In tomato, the highest increase in extraction yield efficiencies of β-carotene (139.1%) and lycopene (112.4%) was obtained by electroplasmolysis treatment at 80 V/cm for 4 s.     

Influence of chromoplast morphology on carotenoid bioaccessibility of carrot,mango, papaya,and tomato

Based on the observation of outstanding dissimilarities of the morphology of pigment-containing chromoplasts in nutritionally important carotenoid sources, the bioaccessibility (BA) of carotenoids from edible portions of carrot, mango, papaya, and tomato was compared using an in vitro digestion model. While carrot and tomato contained large carotenoid crystals clearly visible by light microscopy, mango and papaya contained different types of carotenoid-bearing structures. Particularly, β-carotene is deposited in globular and tubular elements in papaya and mango chromoplasts, where carotenoids accumulate in a lipid-dissolved and liquid-crystalline form, respectively. The highest BA of β-carotene was found for mango (10.1%), followed by papaya (5.3%), tomato (3.1%), and carrot (0.5%). In our digestion model, differences between total lycopene BA from papaya and tomato were insignificant, possibly since both pigments occur in a solid crystalline deposition form in both fruits. Furthermore, the BA of lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin esters was shown to be superior to that of the carotenes from the respective food sources. The effect of lipid addition to the different food sources was studied. Although BA was enhanced for most carotenoids, the above-mentioned ranking of BAs of β-carotene remained unchanged after lipid addition. Consequently, the physical form of carotenoid deposition in plant chromoplasts is suggested to have major impact on their liberation efficiency from the food matrices.     

Antioxidant Bioactive Compounds in Selected Industrial Processing and Fresh Consumption Tomato Cultivars

Four selected fresh consumption tomato varieties, harvested at different ripening stages (green, breaker, pink, red) and five industrial processing tomato varieties, harvested at red ripe stage, were analysed for lycopene and its isomers, β-carotene, total and individual phenolics, vitamin C and hydrophilic antioxidant activity. Tomato variety and ripening stage significantly affected carotenoids, total phenolic compounds and hydrophilic antioxidant activity when fresh consumption tomatoes were compared. The average of total lycopene content at the different ripening stages was 0.63, 12.20, 26.76 and 116.66 mg/kg of fresh weight (FW). Vitamin C ranged from 2.79 (breaker Cherry Pera) to 297.62 (red Cherry Pera) mg/kg FW. In green and breaker tomatoes, a positive correlation of hydrophilic antioxidant activity with vitamin C and chlorogenic acid was observed. However, in industrial tomato varieties (red ripe stage) and fresh consumption varieties harvested at pink and red stages, hydrophilic antioxidant activity was correlated with total phenolics and rutin. Tomato varieties for industrial processing did not show significant differences in total phenolic compounds and lycopene content. Lycopene ranged from 83.17 to 97.60 mg/kg FW, while total phenolic compounds varied between 257.91 and 284.13 mg/kg FW. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were the most abundant individual phenolics found in all the samples studied. Moreover, the content of total phenolics was always significantly correlated with the content of rutin. The amounts of all individual phenolics were affected by variety, with the exception of ferulic acid. Generally, these individual phenolics were more abundant in green and intermediate ripening stages, decreasing in full red tomatoes.     

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Bunchosia glandulifera

Bunchosia glandulifera is a red-colored fruit and a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential. The fruit was collected in the city of Santo Antonio Patrulha-Brazil, and the pulp contained phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, flavonoids, lycopene, β-carotene, vitamin C, and caffeine. Rutin, vitexin, and quercitrin were the phenolic compounds identified in the pulp. The concentrations of lycopene (16.39 mg/100 g fruit) and β-carotene (8.10 mg/100 g fruit) provided the fruit’s distinct color. The fruit pulp was rich in caffeine (206.35 mg/100 g) and showed antioxidant activity as determined by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power, 2,2′-Azinobis-(3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic acid, and 2,2 Difenil-1-Picrilhidrazil. The high antioxidant activity was due to its high levels of bioactive compounds.     

Quality evaluation of frozen guava and yellow passion fruit pulps by NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

The present study investigated the application of near infrared spectroscopy as a green, quick, and efficient alternative to analytical methods currently used to evaluate the quality (moisture, total sugars, acidity, soluble solids, pH and ascorbic acid) of frozen guava and passion fruit pulps. Fifty samples were analyzed by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and reference methods. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to develop calibration models to relate the NIR spectra and the reference values. Reference methods indicated adulteration by water addition in 58% of guava pulp samples and 44% of yellow passion fruit pulp samples. The PLS models produced lower values of root mean squares error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean squares error of prediction (RMSEP), and coefficient of determination above 0.7. Moisture and total sugars presented the best calibration models (RMSEP of 0.240 and 0.269, respectively, for guava pulp; RMSEP of 0.401 and 0.413, respectively, for passion fruit pulp) which enables the application of these models to determine adulteration in guava and yellow passion fruit pulp by water or sugar addition. The models constructed for calibration of quality parameters of frozen fruit pulps in this study indicate that NIR spectroscopy coupled with the multivariate calibration technique could be applied to determine the quality of guava and yellow passion fruit pulp.     

Changes in the contents of carotenoids,phenolic compounds and vitamin C during technical processing and lyophilisation of red and yellow tomatoes

We present the results of the first study on the impact of thermal processing and lyophilisation on three major micronutrient families: carotenoids, total polyphenols and vitamin C in two different tomato cultivars: a red tomato (RT) and a yellow one (YT). Micronutrients were analysed in fresh tomatoes, tomato purée and lyophilised tomatoes. YT contained no lycopene, lower β-carotene, similar vitamin C and higher total polyphenol contents than RT. Processing did not affect the carotenoid content in RT, but significantly lowered β-carotene in YT and also the contents of total polyphenol and vitamin C in both cultivars. Lyophilisation lowered the carotenoid content in RT but not in YT; in contrast, the total polyphenol content was preserved in RT but lowered in YT, and the vitamin C content was not affected in both cultivars. These results provide new data on the effect of thermal processing and lyophilisation on the content of the three main families of micronutrients in red and yellow tomatoes.     

Provitamin A carotenoids and ascorbic acid contents of the different types of orange juices marketed in Spain

The vitamin C and provitamin A carotenoids contents of 25 commercially available Spanish orange juices were studied. Large differences in the levels of these compounds were found. On average, ultrafrozen orange juices (UFOJ) and orange juices from the ecological agriculture (OJFEA) showed the highest ascorbic acid contents (518 and 412 mg/l respectively) among the different kinds of orange juices studied. Some disagreement between the declared and the actual amounts of vitamin C were found. Provitamin A carotenoids were determined by means of the corresponding standards. The monohydroxycarotenoid accompanying β-cyptoxanthin in orange juices was identified as the non-provitamin A carotenoid, zeinoxanthin, on the basis of the methylation test with acidified methanol. Unusually high contents of β-carotene (>0.5 mg/l) were found in two samples, which could indicate that substantial amounts of the pigment were added to those juices. The mandarin juice analyzed showed the highest provitamin A activity (359.3 retinol activity equivalents/l) Among the orange juices surveyed, UFO proved to be the best source of provitamin A (78.5 retinol activity equivalents/l, on average). The lowest contents were found in orange juices from concentrate (OJFC) (22.4 retinol activity equivalents/l, on average, without considering the orange juices with unusual β-carotene contents).     

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Dark Green,Old Gold Crimson,Ripening Inhibitor,and Normal Tomatoes

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity were determined in one high lycopene normal genotype (Berika), two color mutants [dark green (BCT-115) and old gold crimson (BCT-119)], one ripening mutant [ripening inhibitor (BCT-111)], and six ordinary tomato genotypes (Punjab, Chhuhara, FEB-2, BCT-53, Patharkutchi, CLN-B, and CLN-R). Significant variation (mg/100 g fresh weight) in ascorbic acid (~25–38), lycopene (~3–5), β-carotene (~0.6–1.6), total flavonoids (~0.15–48.0), and total phenols (~23–41) was recorded in the pulp. The peel fraction of the tomatoes was identified as an important reservoir of antioxidant bioactive compounds viz. lycopene (~0.26–28), β-carotene (~1.7–4.7), total flavonoids (~0.6–109), and total phenols (~43–104). The radical scavenging activity was ranged from ~53–82 and ~25–51% in peel and pulp, whereas the metal chelating activity was found to range from ~21–53 and ~12–25% in peel and pulp, respectively, among all genotypes. The tomato genotypes with the highest content of bioactive molecules and antioxidant potential in the edible portion were BCT-115, Berika, and BCT-119. The results show great potential of color mutants (dark green and old gold crimson) for all the parameters. Thus, these genotypes could be used in the future breeding programs to enhance the synthesis of beneficial bioactive molecules in the new cultivars.     

Analysis of carotenoids with emphasis on 9-cis β-carotene in vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in Israel

Recent epidemiological studies have directed the attention from the synthetic all-trans β-carotene to natural carotenoids predominant in fruits and vegetables as possible active ingredients for prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Seventeen fruits and 17 vegetables commonly consumed in Israel and the β-car-otene-rich alga, Dunaliella bardawil, were analysed for their content of carotenoids with emphasis on 9-cis β-carotene by reversed-phase, 3D photodiode array HPLC. Fourteen carotenoids were eluted in order of decreasing polarity, from polar oxycarotenoids to lipophilic hydrocarbons, and quantified in μg carotenoid per gram freeze-dried plant sample. The richest sources of total carotenoids (>100μg/g dry weight) in Israeli fruits were pittango, mango and papaya while, in vegetables, the predominant types were carrot, dill, parsley, tomato, lettuce, sweet potato and red pepper. Red fruits and vegetables contained mainly lycopene. Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables had high contents of hydrocarbon carotenes with substantial levels of cryptoxanthins and xanthophylls. The green vegetables had high contents of both xanthophylls and hydrocarbon carotenes. Relatively high ratios (9-cis to all-trans β-carotene) of above 0.2 g/g were noted in sweet potato, papaya, parsley, lettuce, dill, apricot, pepper, prune and pumpkin, compared to the high ratio of 9-cis to all-trans β-carotene in the alga Dunaliella (~ 1.0 g/g). The high content of 9-cis β-carotene in certain fruits and vegetables and the wide variety of carotenoids and stereoisomers of carotenoids in all plants should shift nutritional and medical attention from the synthetic all-trans β-carotene toward natural carotenoids as potential candidates for chemoprevention.