Register      Login
Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > CP > AR07215
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(4)

Content of carotenoids at different ripening stages in processing tomato in relation to soil water availability

Ezio Riggi A C , Cristina Patané A and Giuseppe Ruberto B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A CNR-ISAFOM Istituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo, Unità organizzativa di supporto di Catania, Str.le V. Lancia, Blocco Palma I, Zona Industriale, 95121 Catania, Italy.

B CNR-ICB Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, via del Santuario 110, 95028 Valverde, CT, Italy. Email: giuseppe.ruberto@icb.cnr.it

C Corresponding author. Email: ezio.riggi@cnr.it

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59(4) 348-353 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR07215
Submitted: 7 June 2007  Accepted: 8 January 2008   Published: 8 April 2008

Abstract

The influence of 2 water regimes (a fully irrigated treatment receiving 100% of evapotranspiration for the whole growing season and an unirrigated control watered up to plant establishment only) on lycopene and β-carotene accumulation during fruit ripening in a field-grown processing tomato was studied. Since a strong effect of irrigation treatments on fruit water content was expected, carotenoid content on both a fresh and dry matter basis was studied. Regardless of ripening stage and adopted parameter unit (fresh or dry matter), higher amounts of lycopene were measured in the well watered treatment. Positive and no effects of water stress were reported on β-carotene content when expressed, respectively, on a fresh and dry weight basis. Both experimental factors influenced the β-carotene/lycopene ratio mostly in the first 2 ripening stages and there is evidence to suggest that, under soil water deficit conditions, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is more ‘β-carotene accumulation’ oriented, especially at the beginning of the fruit ripening process.

Appropriateness of adopting both a fresh and dry basis calculation, in order to better evaluate the role of water stress on carotenoid content, is emphasised. The possibility of reducing the irrigation water supply without drastically decreasing the studied fruit quality characteristics is suggested.

Additional keywords: lycopene, β-carotene, water regime, HPLC.


References


Arena E, Fallico B, Maccarrone E (2000) Influence of carotenoids and pulps on the colour modification of blood orange juice. Italian Journal of Food Science 65, 458–460. open url image1

Arias R, Lee TC, Logendra L, Janes H (2000) Correlation of lycopene measured by HPLC with the L*, a*, b* colour readings of a hydroponic tomato and the relationship of maturity with colour and lycopene content. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 48, 1697–1702.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Cutler AJ, Krochko JE (1999) Formation and breakdown of ABA. Trends in Plant Science 4, 472–478.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

De Pascale S, Martino A, Raimondi G, Maggio A (2007) Comparative analysis of water and salt stress-induced modifications of quality parameters in cherry tomatoes.  Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology 82, 283–289. open url image1

Doorembos J , Pruitt WO (1977) ‘Guidelines for prediction crop water requirements.’ FAO irrigation and drainage paper 24, revised. (FAO: Rome)

Dumas Y, Dadomo M, DiLucca G, Pascal G (2003) Effects of environmental factors and agricultural techniques on antioxidant content of tomatoes. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture [Review] 83, 369–382 [Review].
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Fierotti G (1988) ‘Carta dei Suoli della Sicilia. Regione Siciliana: Assessorato Territorio e Ambiente.’ (Università di Palermo, Facoltà di Agraria, Cattedra di Pedologia: Palermo, Italy)

Fraser PD, Bramley PM (2004) The biosynthesis and nutritional uses of carotenoids. Progress in Lipid Research 43, 228–265.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Gillaspy G, Ben-David H, Gruissem W (1993) Fruits: a developmental perspective. The Plant Cell 5, 1439–1451.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Giovannucci E (2002) A review of epidemiologic studies of tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer. Experimental Biology and Medicine 227, 852–859.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Kozukue N, Friedman M (2003) Tomatine, chlorophyll, β-carotene and lycopene content in tomatoes during growth and maturation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 83, 195–200.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kun Y, Lule US, Xiao-Lin D (2006) Lycopene: its properties and relationship to human health. Food Reviews International 22, 309–333.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lindshield BL, Canene-Adams K, Erdman JW (2007) Lycopenoids: are lycopene metabolite bioactive? Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 458, 136–140.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Patané C, Avola G, Riggi E (2003) Relazioni tra disponibilità idrica, indicatori fisiologici e caratteristiche di qualità nel pomodoro (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) da industria coltivato in Sicilia. Bollettino Accademia Gioenia Scienze Naturali 38, 53–75. open url image1

Pogson BJ, Rissler HM (2000) Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis and photoprotection. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 355, 1395–1403.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Rao AV, Agarwal S (1999) Role of lycopene as antioxidant carotenoid in the prevention of chronic diseases: a review. Nutrition Research 19, 305–323.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Robertson GH, Mahoney NE, Goodman N, Pavlath AE (1995) Regulation of lycopene formation in cell suspension culture of VFNT tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) by CPTA, growth regulators, sucrose, and temperature. Journal of Experimental Botany 46, 667–673.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ronen G, Cohen M, Zamir D, Hirschberg J (1999) Regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis during tomato fruit development: expression of the gene for lycopene epsilon-cyclase is down-regulated during ripening and is elevated in mutant Delta. The Plant Journal 17, 341–351.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Sandmann G (2001) Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis: strategies, problems and achievements. Trends in Plant Science 6, 14–17.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Schwartz SH, Qin X, Zeevaart JAD (2003) Elucidation of the indirect pathway of abscisic acid biosynthesis by mutants, genes and enzymes. Plant Physiology 131, 1591–1601.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Seo M, Koshiba TC (2002) Complex regulation of ABA biosynthesis in plants. Trends in Plant Science 7, 41–48.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Sharma SK, Le Maguer M (1996) Kinetics of lycopene degradation in tomato pulp solids under different processing and storage conditions. Food Research International 29, 309–315.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Shi J , LeMageur M , Bryan M (2002) Lycopene from tomatoes. In ‘Functional foods: biochemical and processing aspects, Vol. II’. (Eds J Shi, G Mazza, M Le Maguer) pp. 135–167. (CRC Press LIC: Boca Raton, FL)

Snedecor GW , Cochran WG (1989) ‘Statistical methods.’ 8th edn (Iowa State University Press: Ames, IA)

Srivastava A, Handa AK (2005) Hormonal regulation of tomato fruit development: a molecular perspective. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 24, 67–82.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Voutilainen S, Nurmi T, Mursu J, Rissanen TH (2006) Carotenoids and cardiovascular health. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 83, 1265–1271.
| PubMed |
open url image1