title: Technique for rapid, small-scale analysis of vitamin C levels in fruit and application to a tomato mutant collection.
abstract: We present a technique for easy, rapid analysis of both total and reduced forms of vitamin C in fruits using microplates and a plate reader. This technique has been compared with a spectrofluorometric technique classically used for assaying vitamin C in fresh tomato. We have applied these methods to a population of 118 tomato mutant lines and controls in search of variability for this trait. Six lines, identified as having high vitamin C levels, and four lines having low vitamin C levels have been chosen for further study. The vitamin C levels have been compared with sugar concentration, dry matter content, fruit weight, titratable acidity, and firmness. The correlations that often exist in tomato varieties between sugar and vitamin C content (positive correlation) or fruit weight and vitamin C content (negative correlation) can be uncoupled in the lines selected for further analysis.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Génétique et Amélioration des Fruits et Légumes, UR1052, INRA, Domaine St. Maurice BP94, 84143 Montfavet, France. Rebecca.Stevens@avignon.inra.fr
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buret
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garchery
authors.forename: Yolande
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Carretero
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Causse
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010641:Phenotype; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001205:Ascorbic Acid