Evaluation of phytonutrients composition and nutraceutical potential of tomato by-products

ABSTRACT This study aims to evaluate the phytonutrient composition, antioxidant activity and nutraceutical potential of peels and seeds of two tomato cultivars. Levels of phytonutrients such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, chlorophyll, salicylic acid and vitamin C were assessed. Potential in vitro antioxidant activities were evaluated. Tomato has quite interesting levels of phenolic compounds such as total phenols and flavonoids, whose contents varied from 78.41 ± 1.52 to 272.17 ± 53 mg GAE/100 g DM and 13.35 to 139.89 mg QE/100 g DM, respectively. They also contained chlorophyll, which was concentrated in the peels (39 to 78 mg/100 g DM). β-carotene and lycopene contents ranged from 4.63 to 105 mg/100 g DM and 7.51 to 32.45 mg/100 g DM, respectively. Vitamin C level was high in peels with an average content of 27.82 mg/100 g DM. Tomato by-products showed high antioxidant activity with 61% DPPH inhibition and 108.55 to 120.86 µg EAA/g with FRAP method. With this richness in phytonutrients and their strong antioxidant power, tomato by-products have important nutraceutical potentials to be valorized with in vivo experiments.