|
Notes:
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The feasibility of minimal processing and modified atmosphere packaging (5%O2+5%CO2) 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 1C, thus preserving their initial nutritional value.
This work was supporting by the Interministerial Commission for Science and Technology (CICYT) of the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) through the Project ALI 2005-05768. Isabel Odriozola-Serrano thanks the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain) and the European Social Fund for the predoctoral grant. |
