Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants from a surplus tomato crop by response surface methodology

Tomato is the second most important vegetable crop worldwide and a rich source of industrially interesting antioxidants. Hence, the microwave-assisted extraction of hydrophilic (H) and lipophilic (L) antioxidants from a surplus tomato crop was optimized using response surface methodology. The relevant independent variables were temperature (T), extraction time (t), ethanol concentration (Et) and solid/liquid ratio (S/L). The concentration-time response methods of crocin and β-carotene bleaching were applied, since they are suitable in vitro assays to evaluate the antioxidant activity of H and L matrices, respectively. The optimum operating conditions that maximized the extraction were as follows: t, 2.25 min; T, 149.2 ºC; Et, 99.1 %; and S/L, 45.0 g/L for H antioxidants; and t, 15.4 min; T, 60.0 ºC; Et, 33.0 %; and S/L, 15.0 g/L for L antioxidants. This industrial approach indicated that surplus tomatoes possess a high content of antioxidants, offering an alternative source for obtaining natural value-added compounds. Additionally, by testing the relationship between the polarity of the extraction solvent and the antioxidant activity of the extracts in H and L media (polarity-activity relationship), useful information for the study of complex natural extracts containing components with variable degrees of polarity was obtained.

Microwave-assisted extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoids and production of antioxidant ingredients from tomato: a nutraceutical-oriented optimization study

The production of natural extracts requires suitable processing conditions to maximize the preservation of the bioactive ingredients. Herein, a microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process was optimized, by means of response surface methodology (RSM), to maximize the recovery of phenolic acids and flavonoids and obtain antioxidant ingredients from tomato. A 5-level full factorial Box-Behnken design was successfully implemented for MAE optimization, in which the processing time (t), temperature (T), ethanol concentration (Et) and solid/liquid ratio (S/L) were relevant independent variables. The proposed model was validated based on the high values of the adjusted coefficient of determination and on the non-significant differences between experimental and predicted values. The global optimum processing conditions (t=20 min; T=180 ºC; Et=0 %; and S/L=45 g/L) provided tomato extracts with high potential as nutraceuticals or as active ingredients in the design of functional foods. Additionally, the round tomato variety was highlighted as a source of added-value phenolic acids and flavonoids.

CHARACTERIZATION OF POSTHARVEST PHYSIOLOGY ATTRIBUTES OF SIX COMMERCIALLY GROWN TOMATO VARIETIES IN KENYA

Tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is the leading vegetable in terms of production in Kenya. The Kenyan local market has a wide variety of tomato cultivars with a wide range of morphological and sensorial characteristics. However, information on the nutritional and postharvest quality of these varieties is lacking. The aim of this research was to investigate and identify tomato varieties of superior postharvest quality and recommend them to small and medium scale farmers. In this study, six tomato varieties were grown in a greenhouse and analyzed at three maturity stages (mature green, turning and red ripe). The tomatoes were analyzed at specific days after harvest and storage at room temperature (25o C). Percentage weight loss, color, respiration and ethylene production rates were analyzed to assess the postharvest quality of the tomatoes. The color was measured using a Minolta Chromameter while the respiration rate and ethylene production rates were determined using the static system approach. Color, weight loss, respiration and ethylene production rates were positively affected by storage time when harvested at the three maturity stages. The percentage weight loss of the tomato fruits was higher in the determinate varieties, and at the turning stage of maturity (3.8 %). Minor color changes were observed after storage of the tomatoes harvested at red stage for six days. Both rates of respiration and ethylene production were low, with the respiration rate ranging between 56-10 ml CO2 Kg-1h-1. The Chonto F1 variety had the highest rate of ethylene production (5.4 μL C2H4 Kg-1h-1) on the 4th day of storage after harvest at the red ripe stage. Overall, the indeterminate tomato varieties displayed better postharvest quality that can prolong the fruits shelf life for marketing. In turn, the turning stage of maturity proved to be a better stage to harvest tomatoes as the color development was more uniform.

Sistema de producao para culturas irrigadas no submedio Sao Francisco. I. Tomate industrial.

O estudo realizado com a finalidade de formular sistemas de producao mais rentaveis para a cultura do tomate (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) industrial, constatou-se que, para os dois sistemas de cultivo confrontados (sistema tradicional e sistema modificado), o custo total da producao foi menor no sistema modificado, tendo ocorrido aumento da produtividade e da receita liquida. O emprego da tecnologia gerada pela pesquisa ocasionou uma reducao dos custos da ordem de 40% variando de Cr$ 126.563,00/ha no sistema tradicional para Cr$ 75.262,00/ha no sistema modificado. Com a elevacao da produtividade e a reducao dos custos, a receita liquida variou de Cr$ 182.462,59/ha no sistema tradicional, para Cr$ 393.751,41/ha no modificado. Com isto a razao beneficio/custo, que foi de Cr$ 1,44 no sistema tradicional, elevou-se para Cr$ 5,23 no sistema modificado.

Fontes, niveis e epocas de aplicacao de nitrogenio na produtividade do tomateiro rasteiro.

Realizaram-se dois experimentos, um em 1981 e outro em 1984, com a cultura do tomateiro rasteiro (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) em cultivo irrigado, num Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo do Submedio Sao Francisco, para avaliar o efeito de fontes, niveis e epocas de aplicacao de nitrogenio (N) na produtividade dessa cultura. As fontes de N estudadas foram ureia e sulfato de amonio. No primeiro experimento os niveis foram: 0, 50, 100 e 150 kg/ha de N aplicados nas seguintes epocas: a) toda dose por ocasiao do transplantio das mudas; b) metade da dose no transplantio e a outra metade 30 dias depois; e c) um terco da dose no transplantio seguido de igual quantidade aos 25 e 50 dias depois. No segundo experimento, foram testados os niveis 0, 40, 80, 120 e 160 kg/ha de N parcelados em duas epocas, 1/3 no transplantio e 2/3 30 dias depois. Nao houve diferencas significativas entre as fontes, nem entre as epocas de aplicacao de N. No primeiro experimento, foi estimado um nivel otimo economico de 100 kg/ha de N que proporcionou uma produtividade de 28 t/ha de frutos. No segundo experimento, esse nivel foi de 97 kg/ha de N com produtividade de 67 t/ha de frutos. Essas produtividades foram 111% e 50% superiores aquelas obtidas no nivel zero para o primeiro e segundo experimento, respectivamente.

Metodos de irrigacao e adubacao na cultura do tomate industrial.

Estudou-se a influencia de dois metodos de irrigacao, dois metodos e duas formulas de adubacao, na cultura do tomate industrial (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill), cultivar Rossol (VFN) usando-se "faixas sub-sub-divididas" em oito repeticoes. Por ocasiao da colheita, foi feita a classificacao, contagem e pesagem dos frutos comerciaveis, verificaram-se diferencas significativas para metodos de adubacao e sua interacao com metodos de irrigacao, ao nivel de probabilidade de 5 e 1%, respectivamente. O metodo de adubacao em sulco apresentou maior rendimento que em cova, quanto irrigado por aspersao, ocorrendo o contrario quando a irrigacao foi por sulco. A producao de frutos com podridao apical foi afetada pelos metodos de irrigacao, metodos e formulas de adubacao, e interacoes, tendo sido encontradas diferencas significativas a niveis de 0,05% de probabilidade. No metodo de irrigacao por aspersao, ocorreu a menor percentagem de frutos com este disturbio fisiologico.

Cultivares de tomateiro em diferentes epocas de plantio no perimetro irrigado de Sao Goncalo.

Visando obter informações sobre as melhores épocas de plantio e verificar o comportamento de quatro cultivares de tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) - Rossol, IPA 1, IPA 2 e IPA 3 -, foram instalados ensaios em solos aluviais da estação experimental do perímetro irrigado de São Gonçalo, em Souza, PB. Os trabalhos de campo foram iniciados em janeiro de 1981 e concluidos em maio de 1982. A cada mês era instalado um enaio. Foram avaliadas, em cada cultivar, nas diferentes épocas de plantio, as seguintes características: produtividade, incidência de podridão estilar, peso médio de frutos e incidência de pragas e doenças. Não houve diferença de produção entre as cultivares, dentro das diferentes épocas de plantio. As melhores épocas de plantio para a região foram os meses de fevereiro, março, abril e maio- As menores produções obtidas foram as dos plantios realizados nos meses de setembro, outubro, novembro, dezembro e janeiro.

Natural parasitism of lepidopteran eggs by Trichogramma species (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in agricultural crops in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The genus Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) includes insect egg parasitoids that are widely used throughout the world as control agents of pest insects. The aim of this study was to identify the species of Trichogramma naturally associated with the eggs of lepidopteran pests of the following agricultural and horticultural crops: collards, Brassica oleracea L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae); papaya, Carica papaya L. (Capparales: Caricaceae); tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. (Solanales: Solanaceae); cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae); banana, Musa sp. L. (Zingiberales: Musaceae); passion fruit, Passiflora sp. Degener (Malpighiales: Passifloraceae); sugarcane, Saccharum sp. L. (Poales: Poaceae); and corn (maize), Zea mays L. (Poales: Poaceae); and an invasive species (Sodom?s apple milkweed, Calotropis procera Aiton; Gentianales: Apocynaceae) in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We report natural parasitism by Trichogramma in eggs of Agraulis vanillae vanillae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Antichloris eriphia F. (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), Danaus sp. (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Erinnyis ello L. (Lepidopera: Sphingidae), and Protambulyx strigilis L. (Lepidopera: Sphingidae). In total, 2,242 specimens of Trichogramma were obtained, belonging to the species T. pretiosum Riley, T. manicobai Brun, Moraes & Soares, T. marandobai Brun, Moraes & Soares, and T. galloi Zucchi. These species of Trichogramma may be candidates for biological control programs of lepidopteran pests in the semiarid region of Minas Gerais and in other semiarid regions.

Banco ativo de germoplasma de tomate mantido na Embrapa Hortaliças.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo relatar as principais atividades realizadas no BAG tomate (enriquecimento, multiplicação, caracterização e conservação) e sua aplicação dentro dos programas de melhoramento genético.

The mitochondrial elongation factor LeEF-Tsmt is regulated during tomato fruit ripening and upon wounding and ethylene treatment.

A gene encoding an elongation factor LeEF-Tsmt that participates in the protein synthesis process in mitochondria shows strong expression in ripening fruit as compared to other organs. It is strongly up-regulated during the first stages of the ripening process in parallel with the climacteric rise in respiration. LeEF-Tsmt expression is stimulated by ethylene, wounding and high temperature but ethylene-insensitive mutants exhibit normal expression. Transgenic fruit have been generated in which LeEF-Tsmt has been constitutively up- and down-regulated. Surprisingly, altering the expression of the gene by genetic transformation with antisense and sense LeEF-Tsmt constructs did not affect the pattern of respiration and ethylene production during ripening and upon wounding. In addition, expression of the alternative oxidase gene which is known to play an important role in respiratory climacteric was not affected. Possible reasons for the absence of effect on respiration of variations of LeEF-Tsmt gene expression are discussed.