Agriculture

Findings from University of Barcelona Advance Knowledge in Science

  2012 MAY 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- Investigators discuss in "Evaluation of a method to characterize the phenolic profile of organic and conventional tomatoes" new findings in Science. According to the authors of a study from Barcelona, Spain, "The present study aims to compare the phenolic profiles of organic and conventional tomatoes bought in the market. For the quantification and identification of individual polyphenols, liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem mode (LC-MS/MS) was carried out."

  "Confirmation of the compounds previously identified on the triple-quadrupole was accomplished by injection in the high-resolution system (QToF-MS). In this way, 34 compounds were identified in tomato fruits. Recoveries of targeted polyphenols exceed 78% for conventional and organic tomatoes, respectively. The method intraday precision ranged between 3 and 5%, whereas the interday one was below 12%. Comparing the analyses of tomatoes from conventional and organic production systems demonstrated statistically higher levels (p <0.05) of phenolic compounds in organic tomatoes," wrote A. Vallverdu-Queralt and colleagues, University of Barcelona.

  The researchers concluded: "This methodology allowed finding differences in the bioactive components of organic and conventional tomatoes not previously reported."

  Vallverdu-Queralt and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Evaluation of a method to characterize the phenolic profile of organic and conventional tomatoes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2012;60(13):3373-80).

  For more information, contact A. Vallverdu-Queralt, Nutrition and Food Science Department, XaRTA, INSA, Pharmacy School, University of Barcelona , 08028 Barcelona, Spain.

  Keywords: City:Barcelona, Country:Spain, Region:Europe, Chemicals.

  This article was prepared by VerticalNews Agriculture editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2012, VerticalNews Agriculture via VerticalNews.com.