Proximate, Mineral and Vitamin Content of Flesh, Blanched and Dried Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Abstract

The experiment was aimed at comparing the effect of preservation methods on proximate, vitamins and mineral composition of fresh, blanched and dried tomatoes.  The tomatoes samples were divided into three; fresh, blanched and dried tomatoes. The research was conducted at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, Bayero University, Kano, between the month of February 2019 and August 2019. The Proximate Composition was determined using AOAC methods (1975), the Vitamins were determined by (Pearson Chemical methods, 1970), and Minerals using (Atomic Absorption Spectro-photometer).The results of this research revealed the Blanched tomatoes has significant  higher (P=.05) percentage moisture (77.58±2.71), however it has the least percentage composition of Crude Protein and Carbohydrate. The fresh tomatoes has the higher  composition of crude fibre (17.00±1.87) and crude protein (1.78± 0.13) as compared with the other two samples at (P=.05), while the dried sample has the higher percentage composition of crude fat and Carbohydrate, (8.34±0.84) and (21.77±2.02) at (P=.05) respectively. Vitamin A and lycopene content were found to be significantly higher (P=.05) in Dried tomatoes, with Vitamin C content of blanched tomatoes been significantly higher (P=.05). Mineral analysis indicates that sodium, magnesium, calcium, copper and lead has no significant difference in all the three samples. Conclusion: This study reveals that dried tomatoes are also a good source of Vitamin A, lycopene and other nutrients.