Influence of pigment composition on antioxidant capacity of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

To investigate the relationship between pigments and antioxidant capacity in tomato fruits, the content of pigment substances (lycopene, carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, chlorophylls), the activities of oxidatively active enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT), MDA and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, DPPH, ABTS) in 30 ripening tomato fruits were measured in this study. The results showed that different tomatoes differed in pigment content, oxidatively active enzyme activities, and antioxidant capacity; the results of correlation analysis illustrated that the free radical scavenging capacities for FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS of five pigments are different. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the anthocyanin-rich purple cultivars 'yoom', 'Black Pearl', and 'Wagner' have stronger comprehensive antioxidant capacity. It can be concluded that lycopene was the key pigment affecting the antioxidant capacity from the calculated combined scores and weights of each index on the five principal components by linear combination coefficients. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis for tomato fruit color breeding and the development and utilization of functional substances. • Different phytochromes have different contributions to antioxidant capacity • Lycopene is a key pigment affecting antioxidant capacity in tomato fruits. • Anthocyanin-rich tomato fruits have better integrated antioxidant capacity. • SOD (Superoxide dismutase) is a key oxidizing active enzyme affecting tomato fruits.