Nutrient composition and antioxidant activity of eight tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) varieties

The nutritional composition of eight tomato varieties collected from greenhouses in Almeria (Spain) was determined. The analyzed components included moisture, crude protein, available carbohydrates, total lipids, dietary fiber, ash, energy, vitamin C, fatty acids, carotenoid profiles, mineral elements, nitrate and oxalic acid. The output of the analyses showed higher amounts of vitamin C and carotenoid in these tomato varieties than in conventional varieties. All varieties reported in this study showed high amounts of nitrates, ranging between 108 mg in Rambo and Racimo and 470 mg in Cherry (mg/100 g fresh wt). The antioxidative capacity of the tomato extracts, evaluated both with the P-carotene breaching and with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydracyl (DPPH*) radical scavenging methods, showed that the antioxidant activity of the extracts of some verities was comparable with those of the commercial antioxidants used for similar purposes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc.. All rights reserved.