Chemico-Biological Characterization of Torpedino Di Fondi® Tomato Fruits: A Comparison with San Marzano Cultivar at Two Ripeness Stages

Abstract

Torpedino di Fondi (TF) is a hybrid tomato landrace developed in Sicily and recently introduced in the south Lazio area along with the classical San Marzano (SM) cultivar. The present study aimed at characterizing TF tomatoes at both pink and red ripening stages, and at comparing them with traditional SM tomatoes. A multidisciplinary approach consisting of morphological, chemical (FT-ICR MS, NMR, HPLC, and spectrophotometric methods), and biological (antioxidant and antifungal in vitro activity) analyses was applied. Morphological analysis confirmed the mini-San Marzano nature and the peculiar crunchy and solid consistency of TF fruits. Pink TF tomatoes displayed the highest content of hydrophilic antioxidants, like total polyphenols (0.192 mg/g), tannins (0.013 mg/g), flavonoids (0.204 mg/g), and chlorophylls a (0.344 mg/g) and b (0.161 mg/g), whereas red TF fruits were characterized by the highest levels of fructose (3000 mg/100 g), glucose (2000 mg/100 g), tryptophan (2.7 mg/100 g), phenylalanine (13 mg/100 g), alanine (25 mg/100 g), and total tri-unsaturated fatty acids (13% mol). Red SM fruits revealed the greatest content of lipophilic antioxidants, with 1234 mg/g of total carotenoids. In agreement with phenolics content, TF cultivar showed the greatest antioxidant activity. Lastly, red TF inhibited Candida species (albicans, glabrata and krusei) growth.

Metabolomic Profiling of Fresh Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) Berries from Two Cultivars Grown in Central Italy: A Multi-Methodological Approach

“…All metabolite annotations were based on the “monoisotopic” ion. A qualitative description of the phytochemical composition of the samples has been gained by visualization tools, including van Krevelen diagrams (vKds) and relative elemental composition frequency histograms [ 17 ].…”

“…In particular, high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI FT-ICR) mass spectrometry, and UV-Vis spectrophotometry was applied to obtain the metabolite profile of the hydroalcoholic and organic Bligh-Dyer method extracts. This multimethodological approach has been already exploited to other complex matrices, including essential oils [ 15 ] and foodstuffs [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], ensuring a reliable and extensive phytochemical coverage and quality assessment of the Lycium fruits analyzed from Central Italy. Finally, preliminary studies regarding both the metabolite profile of Goji leaves extracts [ 19 , 20 ] and the biological activity of Big Lifeberry berries was also carried out.…”

Nutritional Value and Phytochemical Content of Crop Landraces and Traditional Varieties

“…The metabolite profile and the antioxidant activity of the tomato hybrid Torpedino di Fondi (TF), developed from the landrace San Marzano (SM), has been characterised in two ripening stages, pink and red, both considered ideal for fresh consumption. In comparison with SM, pink TF tomatoes exhibited the highest content of total polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids besides the greatest antioxidant activity [93]. Within a breeding programme, the eggplant landrace Almagro, known to contain higher values of vitamin C and total phenolics than regular varieties, but also having higher prickle presence, was used as recurrent parent in a backcross, whereas three non-prickly eggplant accessions were used as donors of this desirable trait [94].…”

Quality and safety evaluation of new tomato cultivars

“…They are used widely in an explorative and preliminary assessment of vegetables and fruits (Fanasca et al, 2006;Preti et al, 2017). Besides, to characterize the antioxidants present in the lipophilic fraction, such as carotenoids (including lycopene), Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) methods are used generally (Ingallina et al, 2020a).…”

“…The total carotenoid content was determined at 449 nm (Ingallina et al, 2020a). The results were compared with a standard solution of β-carotene in n-hexane, and the quantification of total carotenoids was achieved by the linear regression (r 2 = 0.9962) and expressed as milligram of β-carotene (mg BCE).…”