Fruit Quality Analysis and Flavor Comprehensive Evaluation of Cherry Tomatoes of Different Colors

Abstract

Cherry tomatoes are popular vegetables worldwide owing to their variety of colors and nutrients. However, an integrated evaluation of color and flavor has rarely been reported. This study examined the differences among red, brown, yellow, and green cherry tomatoes grown in the Jiuquan area. A comprehensive analysis of the flavor quality of these tomatoes, including sensory evaluation, electronic nose analysis, nutritional and flavor quality measurements, targeted metabolomics, and chemometrics, was conducted. Red tomatoes had the highest lycopene content, and green tomatoes had the highest soluble protein and vitamin C content. In cherry tomatoes, K is the most abundant macro element and Fe and Zn are the most abundant trace elements. Brown cherry tomatoes had significantly higher K, P, Mg, Cu and Fe contents than other colored tomatoes, and red tomatoes had significantly higher Zn content than other cherry tomatoes (218.8–724.3%). Yellow cherry tomatoes had the highest soluble sugar content, followed by red, brown and green tomatoes. A total of 20 amino acids of tomatoes were simultaneously determined by LC–MS. Yellow cherry tomatoes have the highest content of essential amino acids, aromatic amino acids and sweetness amino acids. Red tomatoes have the highest levels of non-essential and sourness amino acid contents. An analysis of 30 flavor indicators revealed that yellow tomatoes had the best flavor, followed by red, brown, and green tomatoes. Our work lays the foundation for future research on color and flavor formation in cherry tomatoes.