Assessment of phytochemicals, quality attributes, and antioxidant activities in commercial Tomato cultivars

To assess South Korean commercial tomato cultivars, regular and cherry tomato cultivars were grown in the greenhouse and evaluated for color attributes, titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, carotenoids (lycopene and β-carotene), total phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity. Significant differences (p < 0.05 using Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT)) were observed in the levels of most phytochemicals, quality parameters, and antioxidant activity among the twenty South Korean tomato cultivars tested. Lycopene and β-carotene contents varied significantly (p < 0.05 using DMRT), from 0.95 mg∙100 g^-1 to 5.12 mg∙100 g^-1 and 0.65 mg∙100 g^-1 to 3.56 mg∙100 g^-1 of fresh weight, respectively. β-carotene contents exhibited the highest genetic variation (59.2%), followed by naringenin (52.8%) and other phytochemicals. Most of the cherry tomato cultivars had statistically higher levels (p < 0.05 using DMRT) of carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity compared to the regular tomato varieties, suggesting their higher nutritional value. Lycopene content was highest in the cultivars YoYo, Jicored, Titi-Chal, TY-Endorphin, and Rubyking. Cultivars Rubyking, TY-Endorphin, and Titi-Chal also showed relatively higher antioxidant activities in three assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. All the antioxidants, except luteolin, were positively correlated with antioxidant activities; the highest correlation was observed between total phenol and antioxidant activities, followed by the correlation between rutin and vitamin C. Cultivars identified to have superior nutritional status would be useful in tomato breeding programs to further improve quality and health benefits of tomatoes for the fresh and processed markets.