Terpenoids: Lycopene in Tomatoes

Abstract

Terpenoids are compounds that only contain carbon and hydrogen, or carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that are aromatic, some terpenoids contain carbon atoms whose number is a multiple of five called isoprene units. There are many terpenoids in tomatoes, one of which is a tretrapenoid. A type of tetrapenoid, the carotenoids. Lycopene is a terpenoid found in tomatoes. Lycopene is the most carotenoid group in tomatoes. Lycopene plays a very important role in maintaining human health, including its role in the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and others. The lycopene content in tomatoes depends on genetic factors, in this case the tomato variety, the environment where the tomatoes grow and the fruit storage environment, and the age of the tomatoes. The genetic factor of tomato fruit that greatly affects lycopene content in tomatoes is the color of the fruit. Color is generally an accurate indicator of lycopene content, with yellow cultivars containing less lycopene than red cultivars, and two out of three red cultivars contain more than orange cultivars. Shade tomato plants can increase the lycopene content in tomatoes. Aside from the lack of light in the tomato plant environment, the humidity and air temperature around the tomato plants also greatly affect the lycopene content in the fruit.