Quantification and Chemometrics Characterisation of Nutritional Data of Selected Raw and Branded Tomatoes

Abstract

Tomatoes offer great nutritional and health benefits to humans. The nutritional, physical, and chemical characteristics of tomatoes in raw and company processed forms were evaluated for their nutritional qualities. Three varieties of raw tomatoes and ten brands of processed tomatoes were sampled. The proximate, vitamins, and phenolic composition, as well as Physico-chemical parameters, were carried out using standard techniques. The datasets were subjected to both statistical and Chemometrics techniques.The proximate values (%) were in ranges of: Fat (0.29 – 11.31); Protein (6.65 – 20.15); Fibre (0.92 – 15.70) Ash 0.08 –3.18); Carbohydrate (53.07 – 80.53). The physicochemical parameters values are in ranges: pH (2.25– 4.83); Conductivity (3.73 –12.97), Titratable acidity (0.11 –1.07); Total soluble solids (15.23–40.70). The vitamins and phenolic values are in ranges: Vitamin A (0.47 –8.20); vitamin C (1.31–18.49); Phenolic (0.041– 0.360). The raw tomatoes have a more prominent content of vitamin C. With the aid of biplot(loading/score) of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the Zaria and Minna varieties as well as processed brands (5, 7, and 10) are characterized by substantial carbohydrate content. The dendrogram of Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed closed substitutability of Kano variety and brand 5, as a result of both samples having equivalence of nutritional content. This suggests that brand 5 got its raw tomato from Kano varieties and could therefore be used as a substitute of each other when consumption choice has to be made.