Potential application of seaweed extract in tomato to improve bioactive compounds during postharvest storage

Seaweed extract has been applied in many crops to improve plant growth, mitigate plant stress, and enhance fruit quality. Ascophyllum nodosum is a macroalgae that is source of phytohormones, minerals, polysaccharides and antioxidant compounds. These elements can enhance food nutritional value, contributing to human health. The objective was to analyze the potential of Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) applications in tomato, to improve physicochemical and bioactive compounds during storage. Tomato plants were cultivated divided into three treatments, foliar and soil applications of ANE (0.2%), and control. Intermediate fruits were harvested and stored for 16 days at 10 ± 1 °C and 90 ± 5% RH to evaluate some postharvest parameters. At harvest, ANE applications increased bioactive compounds, including total polyphenols content (TPC), lycopene, vitamin C and antioxidant activity (AA), as well as chemical parameters like soluble solids and pH. During storage, color parameters, β-carotene, total acidity and firmness tended to decrease as storage time increased. However, TPC, lycopene, vitamin C, AA and weight loss increased during storage. Tomatoes were positively affected by ANE applications on almost every day of storage evaluated, improving their postharvest physiology. Therefore, ANE can be used to extend tomato shelf life and is a great source of beneficial compounds, which are responsible for increasing tomato quality.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-06196-6.