Carotenoids content in ripe raw and processed (sauce) berries of high pigment tomato hybrids

A large number of new tomato hybrids with increased lycopene content (high pigment tomatoes) have been developed by conventional plant breeding techniques. The high pigment trait is of particular importance in tomatoes utilised for industrial purposes in order to compensate for the loss of antioxidant activity due to processing. In this study, besides some morphological characteristics of the berries, we report a comparison between the content of lycopene and beta-carotene in red ripe raw tomatoes and the tomato sauce of four high pigments (Hly 02, Hly 13, Hly 18, Kalvert) and an ordinary (Perfectpeel) cv. of tomatoes. Lycopene content in fresh red ripe high pigment tomatoes cv. and in their relative sauces was at least double of that measured in ordinary fresh and processed tomatoes. The three Hly cv. showed a beta-carotene content at least one-fold higher than that measured in cv. Perfeetpeel. Stability of both lycopene and beta-carotene is not affected by processing to produce tomato sauce. Such results highlight the hopeful use of new high pigment cv. to obtain high nutritional value products with improved beneficial effects on human health.