Study of the content variation of compounds related to nutritive and flavor quality in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

The content of the compounds determining tomato nutritive and flavor quality vary not only in relation to cultivars but also depending on the growing conditions. The latter specificity provides evidence that breeding programs aiming at the development of cultivars possessing high nutritive and flavor quality have to put a stress on both the enhanced content of a given compound and the relative stability of this content throughout the years and conditions of growing. The present study was designed to evaluate the variation of dry matter, vitamin C, carotenoids, sugar and organic acids content in three groups of tomato lines and cultivars: 1) XXIV-13, XXIV-2, XXIV-A and No 10 originating from hybridization between Lycopesicon esculentum Mill. (cultivar Break O’ day) and Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium Mill. (accession unknown, provided probably during the late thirties of the last century from Germany); 2) three isogenic/near isogenic lines differing in genes hp and ogc (Ailsa Craig, Ailsa Craig ogc and Ailsa Craig hp); and 3) G-32, carrying both genes, hp and ogc. Investigations were carried out during four years under field conditions. A relatively large scale of variation throughout the years was observed in the dry matter, vitamin C, reduced sugars, acid and lycopene content, while the β-carotene content in the fruits was characterized by relatively low variation. Fruits of XXIV-A possessed significantly and steadily the highest dry matter content (7.0 ± 0.3 %) throughout the four years of investigation and throughout all lines included in the study. The same applied to vitamin C content in Ailsa Craig hp (42.0 ± 1.4 mg/%) and to lycopene content in G-32 (11.9 ± 0.4 mg/%). Fruits of lines Ailsa Craig hp and XXIV-13 were characterized by stable and relatively high content of lycopene (8.3 ± 0.2 mg/% and 7.4 ± 0.2 mg/%), respectively. The results obtained showed that both, lines obtained through interspecific hybridization, as well as lines carrying genes hp and ogc might be used in developing tomato cultivars with steadily high fruit quality attributes.