RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLOR VALUE (A/B) AND COLORED CAROTENE CONTENT IN FRUIT OF VARIOUS TOMATO CULTIVARS AND BREEDING LINES

Thirty-three cultivars and breeding lines of orangered, deep pink, tangerine and yellow-tangerine tomato, including various R–T-, R–R–tt and rrtt genotypes were grown and relationships between color value (a/b) and the content of colored carotenes in those fruits was investigated.

In orange-red and deep pink tomatoes, including various R–T-genotypes and hybrid lines, the color values (a/b) of fruits were highly correlated with lycopene content (μg/g and %) and colored carotene content (μg/g). The regression equations of the correlations were similar in both cases.
In tangerine (R–tt) and yellow-tangerine (rrtt) lines, the fruit color values (a/b) were highly correlated with lycopene content, including cis and trans forms, and the regression equation of the correlation was similar to those of orange-red and deep pink types.

These results will be useful for fruit quality inspection and will help selection of specific genotypes of tomato in breeding programs.

I International Symposium on Solanacea for Fresh Market

T. Johjima, N. Matsuzoe

Lycopersicon esculentum, pigments, lycopene, β-carotene, neurosporene, tangerine tomatoes

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.412.17