Bioactive compounds in cherry tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme): Cultivation techniques classification by multivariate analysis.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess bioactive compounds contents in cherry tomatoes and classify samples according to cultivation techniques. Simple and cost-effective analyses were conducted on 128 samples cultivated using hydroponic, organic, and conventional practices. An HPLC-FD method was validated in-house for eight biogenic amines while antioxidants were evaluated using total phenolic content and anti-radical activity assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+ assays). Chemometric evaluation was applied to extrapolate significant information from data-sets. Variable selection using correlation matrix and the Fisher test was performed. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to construct a mathematical model to classify samples. Correct classifications were achieved in training (95.2%), validation (98.5%), and testing (100%). The results showed that cherry tomatoes cultivated using different techniques could be discriminated based on bioactive profiles using chemometric approaches.