title: Influence of Heat Treatments on Carotenoid Content of Cherry Tomatoes.
abstract: Tomatoes and tomato products are rich sources of carotenoids-principally lycopene, followed by β-carotene and lutein. The aim of this work was to study the effect of heat treatment on carotenoid content in cherry tomatoes. Raw and canned products were sampled and analysed; furthermore whole, skin and pulp fractions of cherry tomatoes were analysed when raw and home-processed, in order to better understand heat treatment effects. Lycopene content in canned tomatoes was two-fold higher than in raw tomatoes (11.60 mg/100 gversus5.12 mg/100 g). Lutein and β-carotene were respectively 0.15 mg/100 g and 0.75 mg/100 g in canned tomatoesversus0.11 mg/100 g and 1.00 mg/100 g in raw tomatoes. For home-processed tomatoes, β-carotene and lutein showed a content decrease in all thermally treated products. This decrease was more evident for β-carotene in the skin fraction (-17%), while for lutein it was greater in the pulp fraction (-25%). Lycopene presented a different pattern: after heat treatment its concentration increased both in the whole and in pulp fractions, while in the skin fraction it decreased dramatically (-36%). The analysis of the isomers formed during the thermal treatment suggests that lycopene is rather stable inside the tomato matrix.
authors.affiliation: CRA-NUT, Agricultural Research Council-Center for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, Rome 00178, Italy. devoli@inran.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Evoli
authors.affiliation: CRA-NUT, Agricultural Research Council-Center for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, Rome 00178, Italy. lombardiboccia@inran.it.
authors.forename: Ginevra
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi-Boccia
authors.affiliation: CRA-NUT, Agricultural Research Council-Center for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, Rome 00178, Italy. lucarini@inran.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucarini
keywords: geometric isomers; home-processed; lycopene; thermal treatments