Antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds, and agro-industrial quality: Correlations between parameters in fresh and processed tomatoes

The objective was to correlate the impacts of the cooking process of fresh fruits (in natura) on the content of bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins, lycopene, and β-carotene), on antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]), and in agro-industrial parameters related to yield and quality in nine varieties of tomatoes. It was possible to verify, at the end of the experiment, from the data obtained that, for most of the analyzed bioactive parameters, there are positive correlations between them and both DPPH and FRAP antioxidant activity. The correlations that occurred between carotenoids, lycopene and β-carotene, and between flavonoids and anthocyanins were emphatic. As for the performance of the tomato varieties, mainly in relation to bioactive compounds, both in natura and processed tomatoes were similar, that could be evidenced by the high positive correlations and demonstrated approximations. Practical applications: Bioactive compounds in food have been credited with the ability to exert influences such as increasing antioxidant activity that prevents cell deterioration, reducing the risks of various diseases, such as cancer, stimulating the immune system, balancing hormone levels, and also having antibacterial and antiviral activity. The responses to the behavior of these compounds in vegetables, when processed, and their interactions, support the moment of choosing a variety to be subjected or not to processing. The agro-industrial parameters related to yield and quality, and also their correlations, are important because they show how the tomato varieties behave when subjected to thermal processing.