Antioxidant characterization of six tomato cultivars and derived products destined for human consumption

The consumption of fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products is widespread in theMediterranean diet. This fruit is a valuable source of antioxidants and plays an important role inpreventing oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the content of antioxidants and measurethe total antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH assays) in the peel, pulp, and seed fractions ofsix tomato cultivars. Finally, some bioactive compounds and total antioxidant activity were alsodetermined in homemade tomato purees, since such homemade production is commonplace inSouthern Italy. The level of antioxidants and total antioxidant capacity in each fraction were alsocalculated based on their actual fresh weight in the whole tomato. The overall results indicated thatthe peel and seeds of all analysed tomato cultivars contribute significantly to the antioxidant chargeof the fruits. Consequently, consuming tomatoes without peel and seeds results in a substantial lossof compounds beneficial for human health. Our results also showed that phenolic and lycopenecontent, as well as antioxidant activities in all purees are higher than in fresh tomatoes. Based on thisevidence, producing homemade tomato puree is a good practice, and its consumption helps preventoxidative stress damage.