Abstract
We intend to study the influence of thermal processing on the antioxidant capacity of tomato products. The products were analyzed for lycopene content and antioxidant activity. Lycopene was extracted using a mixture of hexane: ethyl alcohol: acetone, in ration of 1:25 (w: v). The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the DPPH method. The obtained results show a higher quantity of lycopene in the processed products (8, 4800 ±0, 48079 - 11,8217 ±0. 37010 mg/100g), compared to the fresh ones (2.9400±0.1510-4.0933±0.16773 mg/100g) and the antioxidant activity registers higher values in the aqueous extracts (21-45%).
The thermal processing concentrates the content of lycopene and preserves the antioxidant activity, so that for the optimal nutritional intake of antioxidant phytonutrients, the consumption of processed tomatoes is indicated, to the detriment of the fresh tomatoes.