Carotenoid Profiles of Tomato Cultivars Using Acclaim C30

Importance of the topic

Carotenoids are key pigments determining tomato coloration and nutritional properties. Accurate profiling supports breeding, quality control, and nutritional research.

Objectives and study overview

This study evaluated major carotenoid profiles in red and yellow tomato cultivars using a C30 reversed-phase column to achieve high selectivity and resolution.

Methodology

Samples of red and yellow tomatoes were prepared according to established protocols. Mobile phases comprised acetonitrile, methanol:ethyl acetate (1:1), and 10 mM formic acid in water. A gradient elution program optimized separation within 25 minutes.

Instrumentation

Thermo Scientific Dionex UltiMate 3000 RSLC system equipped with an Acclaim C30 3.0 x 150 mm, 3 µm column. Flow rate was set at 0.64 mL/min, column temperature at 30 °C, injection volume 8 µL. Detection employed a diode array detector scanning 260–800 nm with focus on 450 nm.

Main results and discussion

The method resolved three principal carotenoids: lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene. Red tomatoes showed dominant lycopene peaks, while yellow cultivars exhibited higher lutein. The C30 column provided sufficient selectivity to distinguish these structurally similar compounds under gradient conditions.

Benefits and practical applications

• Rapid and reliable quantitation of tomato carotenoids for breeding and quality control
• Enhanced nutritional profiling to inform cultivar development
• Applicable to routine analysis in food and agricultural laboratories

Future trends and opportunities

Advances in stationary phase chemistries and coupling with high-resolution mass spectrometry promise greater sensitivity and structural elucidation of minor carotenoids. Integration with data analytics can drive predictive breeding for nutrient enrichment.

Conclusion

The Acclaim C30-based HPLC method offers robust separation and quantitation of key carotenoids in tomatoes, supporting applications from research and development to quality assurance.

References

1. J. Hirschberg et al. Pure & Appl. Chem., 1997, 69(10), 2151–2158
2. D.B. Rodriguez-Amaya and M. Kimura. HarvestPlus Handbook for Carotenoid Analysis, IFPRI, 2004