Abstract
Tissue portions of five morphological fruit types of tomatoes were evaluated for acid composition, pH, total acidity, alcohol soluble acidity, alcohol insoluble acidity, soluble solids, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These data were compared with the same attributes obtained from fresh tomato juice. The attributes of the constituent acidic materials in the tissues were related to acidity of fresh tomato juice. The pH values of the pericarp tissues were the highest. The total acidity and alcohol soluble acidity of the locular tissues were higher than the entire fruit and the pericarp tissues. Malic and citric were the predominant acids. The level of citric and total acids were highest in the locular tissues. The plum type tomato was more acidic than other fruit types in all tissue portions. A negative correlation between pH and total acidity of the locular tissue was significantly higher than those of the entire fruit and the pericarp tissue. Potassium content is an important factor related to acidity in the locular tissue and the entire fruit; whereas phosphorus content is related to buffering activity in the pericarp tissue and the entire fruit. The acidity of the entire fruit depends on differential buffering factors in both the pericarp and the locular tissues.
Mahakun, Nakorn (1977). A study of acidic constituents of tomatoes. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -368415.