Effects of Storage Duration on Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

This study explored the physicochemical and nutritional changes associated with storage duration of fresh tomatoes. Fruits of the 'TY Megaton' and 'Yureka' tomato cultivars were harvested at the pink stage and stored at $12^{\circ}C$ for 20 days. During storage, firmness, weight loss, skin color (Hunter L, a, b, a / b values), soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, antioxidant contents (lycopene, ascorbic acid, and total phenolics) and antioxidant activity were evaluated. Firmness was above the minimum marketable limit and fresh weight loss was below maximum acceptable weight loss after 3 weeks of storage, and no deleterious effect on antioxidant contents or activities were observed. Significant differences in SSC, TA, and pH were seen between varieties, but not between fruits stored for different durations. In both varieties, Hunter a values increased more than five-fold after 8 days of storage; this correlated with a more than four-fold accumulation of lycopene after two weeks of storage. The antioxidant activity of tomatoes was highest at the beginning of the storage period, likely because of the effective DPPH - reducing power of ascorbic acid and total phenolics. Antioxidant activity increased after 12 days of storage because of increasing lycopene content. Hence, this study indicates that pink - stage tomatoes may be stored at $12^{\circ}C$ for up to 3 weeks without affecting marketability or nutritional value.