Bioactive compounds in tomatoes: effect of organic vs conventional management in Parma in 2006

Summary

External and internal factors such as variety, season, location, ripening, growing conditions, technological and domestic processes could affect the content of bioactive compounds in food. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different agronomical practices (organic vs conventional) on the nutritional quality of tomatoes.
Fresh tomatoes (cv. Perfectpeel), cultivated under organic and conventional practices were analysed for vitamin C, lycopene, -carotene, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, naringenin, rutin, quercetin, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP). CaCO2 monolayer cell cultures were used for testing membrane damage by Trans Epithelial Electrical Resistance(TEER).
Results showed that for lycopene, naringenin and rutin no significant differences were observed. For -carotene and coumaric acid significantly higher values were found in organic samples. Values of vitamin C, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin and TAC were significantly higher in conventional tomato, but the FRAP values were significantly higher in organic tomato. The observed TEER values were not significant different between organic and conventional tomato.