Geographical Location has Greater Impact on Carotenoid Content and Bioaccessibility from Tomatoes than Variety

The suggested health benefits of consuming tomatoes and tomato-based products have been attributed, in part, to
the carotenoids present in these foods. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to (i) analyse carotenoid content
and bioaccessibility from different tomato (Lycopersicon
esculentum L.) types namely cherry, plum, round, and certain
tomatoes-on-the-vine; and (ii) determine if geographical
location (Ireland vs Spain) influenced the content and
bioaccessibility of carotenoids in tomatoes of the same
variety. Carotenoid bioaccessibility is defined as the amount
of ingested carotenoids that, after digestion, are available for
absorption by intestinal cells. Differences were seen in
carotenoid content and bioaccessibility between the different
tomato types tested. For instance, Irish round high-lycopene
tomatoes contained the greatest amounts of lycopene and
lutein but lowest levels of β-carotene compared with the
other Irish tomatoes. Furthermore, the content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids that were sourced from Ireland and
Spain also varied greatly. Spanish tomatoes were generally
superior in the content, bioaccessibility, and micelle content
of carotenoids. To conclude, our findings suggest that
geographical location, rather than the type of tomato, seems
to have a more pronounced effect on carotenoid bioaccessibility from tomatoes.