Changes in major antioxidant components of tomatoes during post-harvest storage

The objective of this study was to study overall nutritional implication of storage on tomatoes (cv. Tradiro), harvested from a commercial greenhouse in Canterbury, New Zealand. The harvested tomatoes were stored at 7, 15 and 25 degrees C, for a period of 10 days. The soluble phenolics and ascorbic acid contents of tomatoes showed slight increases during storage, regardless of temperature. The mean lycopene content of tomatoes stored at 15 and 25 degrees C on the 10th day of storage was, approximately, 2-fold (7.5 mg/100 g) than of the tomatoes stored at 7 degrees C (3.2 mg/100 g). The soluble antioxidant activity increased from 17-27% during the storage period of tomatoes. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.