Comparative assessment of fresh and processed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) pulps: Impact of processing on physicochemical, antioxidant, and enzymatic behavior

This study investigated the impact of chemical and thermochemical treatment on the physicochemical, antioxidant, and enzymatic behavior of tomato pulp. The chemical treatment involved the use of 0.05% potassium metabisulfite, 0.05% sodium metabisulfite, 0.05% potassium sorbate, 0.05% sodium benzoate, 0.5% ascorbic acid, and 1% citric acid, whereas the thermochemical treatment involved heating the tomato pulp to 80-82°C for 30 minutes before applying the same chemical preservatives, followed by storage at 30±1°C for 120 days. The results revealed that the thermochemically treated sample retained higher levels of total phenol content (6.24-4.10 mgGAE/100g), vitamin C (136.43-54.05mg/100g), and a lower level of lycopene content (59.87-43.28µg/100g) compared to chemically treated samples. Additionally, the thermochemically treated sample had higher TSS (6.57 to 6.70 °Brix), increased acidity (1.60% to 1.06%), lower pH (4.11-3.57), better color stability, and reduced browning. Moreover, it showed improved oxidoreductase and hydrolase enzymatic control during storage. Therefore, the idea of thermochemical treatment can be a milestone in improving the shelf life of tomato pulp to benefit the food industry.