Changes in antioxidant content of tomato fruits in response to cultivar and nutrient solution composition.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cationic proportions (K/Ca/Mg) in the nutrient solution on fruit quality (quality attributes and antioxidant content) using a high-pigment, 'Lunarossa', tomato cultivar and a standard tomato cultivar ('Corfù') grown in soilless culture. Treatments were defined by a factorial combination of three nutrient solutions having different cationic proportions and two indeterminately growing round tomato cultivars. A high proportion of K in the nutrient solution increased the quality attributes (fruit dry matter, total soluble solids content) and the lycopene content of tomato fruit, whereas a high proportion of Ca improved tomato fruit yield and reduced the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER). The highest total antioxidant activity was observed in the treatment with a high proportion of Mg in the Lunarossa cultivar. The high-pigment hybrid has provided a higher antioxidant content (lycopene and alpha-tocopherol content) than the commercial hybrid, but it was more susceptible to BER and consequently less productive.
Fanasca
Simone
S
Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
Colla
Giuseppe
G
Maiani
Giuseppe
G
Venneria
Eugenia
E
Rouphael
Youssef
Y
Azzini
Elena
E
Saccardo
Francesco
F
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis; D002412:Cations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011786:Quality Control; D012996:Solutions; D013045:Species Specificity; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis
D000975:Antioxidants; D002412:Cations; D008903:Minerals; D012996:Solutions; D002338:Carotenoids; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D000077276:Lycopene; D002118:Calcium