research study

CHANGES IN TOMATO FRUIT COLOR

DURING STORAGE

STUDENT ANTHOULA MASTROGIANNAKI

TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

CRETE, SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

MARCH 2023

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SUMMARY
Tomato fruit has different stages of maturity, 1) ripe-green stage, 2) color breaking
stage, 3) color turning stage, 4) pink fruit, 5) slightly red fruit and 6) ripe-red fruit. The
change in the color of the tomato fruit depends on the storage conditions (temperatures
in the storage chambers, pigments that the fruit includes in the composition of each
variety of tomato and also on the treatments in the storage chambers such as the addition
of exogenous ethylene which helps the fruit to ripen faster and in the change of color
from green to red.

INTRODUCTION

Tomato fruits show many differences in size, shape and color. The chlorophyll present
in the tomato fruit that is in the initial stage of maturity is responsible for the green color
of the fruit and as the chlorophyll disappears, the carotenoids appear which change the
color of the fruit from green to red ( Wold et et al ., 2003). During the storage of the
tomato fruit, the different temperatures in the storage areas are considered the most
important environmental factor regarding the change of the color of the fruit and it has
a significant effect on the construction of the red color ( Tadesse et et al ., 2015).
Carotenoids (isoprenoid components suitable for protecting the photosynthetic pathway
of plants against light intensity), change the color of the tomato fruit, when the fruit has
ripened from green to red as chlorophyll decreases ( Liorente et et al ., 2015). Storage
temperatures in subtropical fruits such as tomato help to control the temperature when
the external temperatures are so low that they do not allow the color of the fruit to
change and create disorders such as chilling injury ) and in those which are high enough
to avoid cryoinjury, but do not help fruit ripening ( Tadesse et et al ., 2003). In addition
to temperatures and the composition of carotenoids, ethylene also plays an important
role in changing the color of the fruit, which at appropriate temperatures helps to
increase the red color of the fruit ( Shewfelt et et al ., 1988). The change of the
chloroplast into a chromoplast in collaboration with the synthesis of carotenoids,

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mainly lycopene and β-carotene are the characteristics that play a role in the ripening
of the fruit and the change in the red color ( Pek et et al ., 2010).

1. Evolution of fruit color

Tomato is a climacteric fruit characterized by a climacteric growth with respiration and

ethylene production resulting in ripening, elasticity and the appearance of red color
(Heuvelink, 2019 ) . Ethylene is a factor that changes fruit color in climacteric fruits
such as tomato. As the tomato fruit reaches a normal ripeness, the response of the fruit
part to ethylene changes from a negative to a positive stage. In unripe fruits, ethylene
reduces its composition and creates a low concentration of endogenous ethylene that
stops the ripening of the fruit. Ripening controls give ripening-inhibitors, non-ripening
and non-ripening fruit color ( Heuvelink , 2019). The tomato fruit includes changes in
its color during the thermal increase when there are reactions such as reduction of
constituent substances (especially carotenoids and chlorophyll) and other reactions
such as condensation of hexoses and amino components as well as oxidation of ascorbic
acid ( Ashebir et et al ., 2009). The color of the tomato fruit varies depending on the
composition of the appropriate pigments which can be white, black, green, red, blue
and yellow ( Camelo and Gómez , 2004). For example, pigments such as anthocyanin
and anthoxanthin give the fruit colors such as orange, red and blue, β-carotene and
xanthophyll give an orange color while lutein and lycoxanthin give a yellow color
(Bogri, 2012 ) . During ripening, the visible changes begin at the moment when
chlorophyll decreases and the assimilation of lycopene increases, which lycopene is an
essential component at the end of fruit ripening. During the ripening of the fruit, the
skin is either green or red. In suitable conditions of temperature and humidity, the fruit
goes through 6 ripening stages: a) ripe-green, b) breaking the color, c) turning the color,
d) pink, e) slightly red and g) ripe-red. In the ripe-green stage, the fruits reach up to
80% of their final size and continue to ripen normally after harvest. Although most
fruits ripen to a red color, some fruits remain yellow due to the non-synthesis of
lycopene ( Heuvelink , 2019). It has been proven after research that ripe tomatoes
include in their composition more lycopene, beta-carotene and total acids that

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contribute to the high color index ( Pek and Heyles , 2010). According to Zanoni et et
al ., 1999; Kerkhofs et et al ., 2005; Chang et al ., 2006 and Tool and Savage , 2006,
high temperatures can cause damage to tomato fruit quality such as color ( Ashebir et
et al ., 2009). High heat causes dryness resulting in changes in antioxidant composition,
increasing total flavonoids and phenolics and lycopene synthesis resulting in adverse
red color changes ( Ashebir et et al ., 2009). Researchers Pek and Heyles in an
experiment carried out in 2010 regarding the color of the fruit in round - type tomatoes
which they stored at the turning stage in storage areas at 15-30 o C discovered that the
red color of the fruit developed more rapidly at 30 ° C than at 15 ° C . The development
of red color at 30 ° C increased because lycopene which is the main source of tomato
red color does not synthesize above 30 ° C . In this temperature range only β-carotene
is produced , which has an indicative temperature of 38 o C. It was also shown that
storage at 30 ° C gave higher fruit quality (reduced red color) than those ripened at 15 °
C ( Pek and Heyles , 2010). The ripe-green fruit can be stored for 2 weeks at 12.5-15 °
C , the ripe fruit at 10-12.5 ° C for a week and the fully ripe fruit at 7-10 ° C for 3-5 days
. The ripe-green fruit ripens best at 15-20 ° C , while above 25 ° C softness and degraded
fruit color are produced ( Heuvelink , 2019). Chlorophyll , lycopene and β-carotene are
components of the fruit that play an important role in changing the color of the fruit.
Chlorophyll decreases during storage of the fruit, while at storage temperatures between
20 and 30 o C its decrease is observed. In short, the storage of the tomato fruit at high
temperatures changes the color of the fruit faster. As for lycopene and β-carotene,
storage at 20 and 30 o C increases their composition. The storage of tomato fruits at 40
o
C results in the interruption of the synthesis of lycopene and β-carotene due to the
induction of chilling injury ) ( Tadesse et et al ., 2015).

1.1 Storage of tomato fruits according to the ripening stage and the
color of the fruit

The storage of tomato fruits aims to sort the fruit so that the fruits that do not meet the
criteria to be sold in the market are removed. If the fruit lacks quality and brightness, it
must be removed and the fruit selected must have all those factors to be desirable.

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Depending on the stage of maturity and the percentage of red color, each tomato fruit
is selected and stored ( Heuvelink , 2019).

Ripe-green fruits that appear alike may be at different stages of maturity due to
differences in respiration fluctuations, ethylene production, marketability and rate of
lycopene synthesis. Laboratory instruments that measure color (eg appearance of red
color-lycopene) have been developed for advertising classification of fruit maturity in
terms of external color construction. However, these instruments are not effective in
determining the stage of ripeness in ripe-green fruits, because they cannot measure the
lycopene that is first assimilated at the edge of the wall of the ripe-green fruit, at the
time when ripening begins. The high amount of chlorophyll contained in the ripe-green
fruit makes the above characteristic an inaccurate measure of its ripeness. Final
lycopene synthesis, ethylene evolution, and moisture factors of local components are
all indicators of fruit maturity ( Heuvelink , 2019).

The ripe green fruits and the fruits of the color break are stored according to the weight
or intensity while the ripe fruit is placed in cardboard boxes. Since the ripe-green fruit
is usually treated with ethylene and ripens in these boxes, the boxes must withstand the
moisture produced during fruit ripening. Boxes must also have a certain number of hole
spacing to provide adequate ventilation. When placed on pallets, the boxes should either
be set up with air channels between them or aligned so that the holes in the boxes allow
air to move easily between all the boxes on the pallets. Improper placement of the boxes
can isolate the interior of the boxes from air movement that produces ethylene and
removes respiration products (eg heat, carbon dioxide, water osmosis) (Heuvelink,
2019 ) .

1.2 Reaction of ethylene in fruit color change

Ethylene is an organic compound which is very simple and is produced by the plant
tissues of the fruit (Sfakiotakis, 2004). Exposing fruit to a specific ppm ( µ l / l ) of
ethylene in air (eg 100 ppm ) or immersion in ethylene compounds such as Ethrel
increases ripening of ripe-green fruit to acceptable quality levels. Ethylene increases
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chlorophyll reduction and lycopene synthesis in ripe fruits. However, ethylene can also
increase fruit ripening (lycopene composition and firmness) in unripe fruits. In the
market, fresh varieties where the fruits are about 90% of final size have the ability to
progress to normal climacteric and ripen to an acceptable level of quality after harvest.
Fruits that are less ripe can become red and soft with time but the ripe fruit is of inferior
quality. The fruit that is more ripe than 31 days acquires color without the addition of
ethylene, while the less ripe fruit needs ethylene to acquire color and consistency.
Exposure of immature fruit 17 days after flowering to addition of 1000 ppm ethylene
in air allows increased respiration and ethylene, change in color and firmness but the
fruit is of inferior quality. When the fruit matures from the ripe-green stage to the shoot
stage, ethylene levels increase and continue to support auto-catalytic ethylene
production and further ripening (Heuvelink, 2019 ) .

1.3 Percentages of ethylene used to change from one maturity stage

to the next

The concentration of ethylene at 100-115 ppm is used to introduce and accelerate the
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ripening of the harvested ripe-green fruit at a temperature of 18-22 C . With this
treatment the ripe-green fruit will reach the turning stage within 24-36 hours depending
on the temperature ( Heuvelink , 2019).

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After the ethylene treatment, the optimal fruit storage temperature is 12.5-15 C.
Between these limits, ripening is achieved most rapidly at high temperatures. The
ripening of the ripe-green fruit does not take place and is not normal below 10 o C ,
while ripening is achieved very quickly when the temperature rises above 25 o C. During
the cryotrauma ( chilling injury ) the ripe-green fruit affects ripening while the pink
tomato fruit can be stored at lower temperatures. High temperatures (e.g. 25-30 ° C )
prevent ripening. Fruits stored at these high temperatures change from orange to red
because lycopene synthesis is inhibited above 30 ° C ( Heuvelink , 2019).

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1.4 The role of each pigment in changing the color of the fruit

The color of the tomato fruit changes gradually when from green-chlorophyll, the fruit
changes the color of the pericarp with the help of red carotenoids and the loss of the
anthocyanin pigment ( Gonzali and Perata , 2021). Fresh tomato fruits lose their green
color during ripening and assimilate pigments that give a distinct color to the ripe fruit.
The three groups of pigments, apart from chlorophyll, which gives green color to the
fruit, are anthocyanins, betalains and carotenoids, of these three, only carotenoids are
suitable for the photosynthetic pathway as photoprotectors against light intensity (
Liorente et et al ., 2015).

The green color of the ripe fruit changes to orange and red when it ripens due to the
lack of chlorophyll and the assimilation of orange carotene, β-carotene and red carotene
of lycopene in the pericarp of the fresh fruit ( Liorente et et al ., 2015). The action of
carotenoids in changing the color of the tomato fruit takes place in collaboration with
lycopene. During fruit ripening, lycopene β-cyclase ( lcy β) converts lycopene into β-
carotene. Two lcy β genes named lcy β and cyc β have been identified in tomato . The
formation of lcy β is responsible for the biosynthesis of carotenoids in the chloroplast
where cyc β plays an important role in the chloroplast during fruit ripening, a small
increase in carotenoid synthesis is required during the color conversion from ripe green
to orange /yellow. During the treatment, the expression of lcy β and cyc β decreases,
on the contrary, the regulation of dxs , hdr , pds and psy 1 genes increases . The
assimilation of lycopene in the chromoplast is achieved by the downregulation of lcy β
and cyc β. Carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation of plastid construction is stimulated
by light ( Ngcobo et et al ., 2020).

Anthocyanins belong to the class of phenolics called flavonoids that are often included
in plants. The best known anthocyanins are cyanide glycosides, pelagronidin, peonidin,
delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin. Anthocyanins work in the C 18 phase and react

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with acetic acid, formic acid, phosphoric acid, etc. As well as with the organic
components (methanol and acetonitrile) ( Sass - Kiss et et al ., 2005). Anthocyanins
give the tomato fruit its colors such as orange, red and blue.

Betalains are nitrogen-containing compounds that dissolve in water and turn the color
of the fruit from yellow to red. Betalains show a bright color in fruits. Although its
biosynthesis has not yet been deeply investigated, betalain is used to give a red natural
coloring. Betalains are classified into red betalains and yellow betaxanthins. They give
the fruit various colors such as red, yellow and white. The biosynthesis of betalains is
based on the enzymatic reaction. Their formation is created by the catalytic action of
tyrosine hydroxylase and the formation of betalamic acid by DOPA 4,5-dioxygenase (
Tanaka et et al ., 2008).

Discussion-Conclusions
The factors that change the color of the tomato fruit are the following:

A) The storage temperatures that can cause disturbances in the color of the fruit.

B) The addition of endogenous and exogenous ethylene which, depending on the

percentage, changes the ripe-green tomato fruit to a red color faster.

C) Pigments (anthocyanin, carotenoids, lycopene, betalains) give the fruit different

colors. Anthocyanin: orange, red, blue color, carotenoids and lycopene: orange and red
color and betalains red, yellow and white color.

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