Carotenoid and polyphenol content of different tomato cultivars and related antioxidant activity

Abstract

Different tomato phenotypes were analysed for the content of total polyphenols, selected flavonoids, including flavonols (rutin and rutin-derivative), flavanones (naringin and the related chalcone) and carotenoids (lycopene and beta-carotene). The identity of these components was based on their chromatographic, ultraviolet and mass spectrometric behavior. All phenotypes were surveyed for their total antioxidant activity (TAA), correlations beteen TAA values and the content of each group of costituents