CAROTENOIDS CONTENT IN INTACT PLASTIDS ISOLATED FROM ORDINARY AND HIGH-LYCOPENE TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.) CULTIVARS
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important worldwide agricultural crops.
Tomato fruits are rich in a plethora of natural antioxidant compounds including vitamins, phenolics, mainly flavonoids, and carotenoids, particularly lycopene.
The demand for natural carotenoids is increasing because of (a) the broad commercial opportunities offered by such bioactive pigments due to their dyeing and functional properties; (b) the increasing consumer awareness of the direct relationship between natural antioxidant intake and health; (c) the widespread industrial use as ingredients in dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, fortified foods and animal feeds.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the content of carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene and lutein) in purified plastids isolated from fully red-ripe berries of ordinary (Donald) and high-lycopene (HLY18) tomato cultivars.
Intact plastids were isolated and concentrated using exclusively aqueous solutions considered safe for food applications.
The results showed that HLY18 chromoplasts accumulated at least 2-fold higher lycopene, β-carotene and lutein (expressed as µg/mg of plastid proteins) than those isolated from red-ripe Donald berries.
Furthermore, isolated chromoplasts, being similar to bilamellar liposomes, could protect carotenoids from oxidation/degradation in potential commercial products and facilitate biosorption and tissue delivery.
Ilahy, R., Riahi, A., Hdider, C., Tlili, I., Dalessandro, G. and Lenucci, M.S. (2015). CAROTENOIDS CONTENT IN INTACT PLASTIDS ISOLATED FROM ORDINARY AND HIGH-LYCOPENE TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.) CULTIVARS. Acta Hortic. 1081, 135-140
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1081.14
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1081.14
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1081.14
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1081.14
antioxidants, β-carotene, carotenoids, chromoplast, lutein, Solanum lycopersicum
English
1081_14
135-140