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Characterization and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds in Four Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) Farmers’ Varieties in Northeastern Portugal Homegardens

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Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) is one of the most widely consumed fresh and processed vegetables in the world, and contains bioactive key components. Phenolic compounds are one of those components and, according to the present study, farmers’ varieties of tomato cultivated in homegardens from the northeastern Portuguese region are a source of phenolic compounds, mainly phenolic acid derivatives. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, it was concluded that a cis p-coumaric acid derivative was the most abundant compound in yellow (Amarelo) and round (Batateiro) tomato varieties, while 4-O-caffeolyquinic acid was the most abundant in long (Comprido) and heart (Coração) varieties. The most abundant flavonoid was quercetin pentosylrutinoside in the four tomato varieties. Yellow tomato presented the highest levels of phenolic compounds (54.23 μg/g fw), including phenolic acids (43.30 μg/g fw) and flavonoids (10.93 μg/g fw). The phenolic compounds profile obtained for the studied varieties is different from other tomato varieties available in different countries, which is certainly related to genetic features, cultivation conditions, and handling and storage methods associated to each sample.

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Abbreviations

DAD:

Diode array detector

ESI:

Electron spray ionization

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

MS:

Mass spectrometry

FW:

Fresh weight

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Acknowledgements

L. Barros thanks to FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for her grant (SFRH/BPD/4609/2008). M. Dueñas thanks to the Programa Ramón y Cajal for a contract. The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through the Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme (FUN-C-FOOD, CSD2007-00063), and Junta de Castilla y León (Grupo de Investigación de Excelencia, GR133).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIMO/Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal

    Lillian Barros, José Pinela, Ana Maria Carvalho & Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira

  2. Grupo de Investigación en Polifenoles (GIP-USAL), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    Lillian Barros, Montserrat Dueñas & Celestino Santos Buelga

Authors
  1. Lillian Barros
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  2. Montserrat Dueñas
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  3. José Pinela
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  4. Ana Maria Carvalho
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  5. Celestino Santos Buelga
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  6. Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Celestino Santos Buelga or Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira.

Additional information

Lillian Barros and Montserrat Dueñas contributed equally.

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Barros, L., Dueñas, M., Pinela, J. et al. Characterization and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds in Four Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) Farmers’ Varieties in Northeastern Portugal Homegardens. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 67, 229–234 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0307-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0307-z

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