%0 Journal Article
%T Influence of Heat Treatments on Carotenoid Content of Cherry Tomatoes
%A Laura D'Evoli
%A Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia
%A Massimo Lucarini
%J Foods
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/foods2030352
%X Tomatoes and tomato products are rich sources of carotenoids¡ªprincipally lycopene, followed by ¦Â-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 g versus 5.12 mg/100 g). Lutein and ¦Â-carotene were respectively 0.15 mg/100 g and 0.75 mg/100 g in canned tomatoes versus 0.11 mg/100 g and 1.00 mg/100 g in raw tomatoes. For home-processed tomatoes, ¦Â-carotene and lutein showed a content decrease in all thermally treated products. This decrease was more evident for ¦Â-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.
%K lycopene
%K home-processed
%K thermal treatments
%K geometric isomers
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/2/3/352