Spectrophotometric determination of total polyphenolic and flavonoid content in tomato

Abstract

Polyphenolic compounds are a heterogeneous group of secondary plant metabolites and one of the most important classes of natural antioxidants. Polyphenols can be found in apples, onions, dark chocolate, red cabbage, tomatoes, and many other fruits and vegetables. The aim of the present investigation was the determination of total polyphenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in two tomato cultivars "Belle F1" and "Perugino F1" by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Determination of TPC was performed by Folin–Ciocâlteu assay with gallic acid as a reference standard. In order to determine TFC, quercetin was used as a reference standard. The obtained results showed that the TPC is higher in the tomato Perugino F1 (9.18 ± 0.16 mg / 100 g) compared to the hybrid "Belle F1" (6.23 ± 0.03 mg / 100 g).