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Influence of Different Drying Methods (Oven, Sun and Green House) on Some Micronutrient Composition of Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum)
Abstract
Tomatoes are climacteric fruits which are known to have short life span once harvested. To extend their shelf life, drying technology is often employed. This work was designed to find the effect of some conventional drying methods on micronutrient composition of tomatoes. Mineral and vitamin compositions were analysed using standard procedures. Data generated were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 20. The result showed that β-carotene contents of the tomatoes ranged between 2680 – 4020µg/100g with fresh tomatoes having the highest value (4020µg/100g) and sun dried tomatoes the lowest β-carotene value (2680µg/100g). The vitamin C content of the tomatoes (7.83 – 12.10µg/100g) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than the value (19.59mg/100g) obtained for the fresh sample. The zinc content of oven dried tomatoes was 8.77-fold higher than the zinc content of the fresh tomatoes, while zinc contents of sun dried and greenhouse dried tomatoes were 8.15 and 6.07 folds higher than that of the fresh tomatoes. The copper (0.14 – 0.23mg/100g) and iodine (2.76 – 3.35mg/100g) contents of the dried tomatoes were significantly higher (p>0.05) than values obtained in fresh tomatoes. The study showed that minerals and vitamins analysed were better conserved using oven dry method than using sun and greenhouse drying methods.
