Biochemical analysis β-carotene and lycopene content in tomato fruits under water stress

Drought can alter the metabolic profile of plants by accumulation or reduction of specific carotenoids that could affect their adaptive response. Lycopene stands out as one of the most characteristic carotenoids, playing a crucial role in determining the nutritional quality of tomatoes, but
\nalso as an important antioxidant in the response of plants to drought. The aim of this study was
\nto verify whether changes in carotenoids content (β-carotene and lycopene) in the fruits under
\ndrought stress. Plants of two tomato lines (M7 and R83) previously differed in drought response in
\nvegetative phase were grown in a glasshouse. Two water regimes were applied (optimal field capacity and water deficit - reduction of water for 30% compared to control). For analyses were used
\nthe red ripe fruits of tomatoes from 2nd and 4th floral branches. ß-carotene and lycopene content
\nwere determined using the spectrophotometry method. Biochemical analyses of β-carotene and
\nlycopene indicated on differences in their content between genotypes and treatments. Generally,
\nhigher content, especially of β-carotene, was found in the fruits of the R83 line compared to the
\nM7 line. The greatest accumulation of both carotenoids, particularly lycopene was detected in the
\nfruits of the R83 line from 4th floral branch under water deficit. Based on the obtained results, the
\nduration of plant exposure to stress affected the carotenoid content and the R83 line showed a
\npotentially better response to drought stress at fruit level.