Metabolite Profiling for Six 'B' Vitamins Using LC-MS in Tomato Genotypes at Different Stages of Fruit Maturity

Vitamins are essential nutrients in food crucial for maintaining good health. Tomato, being a widely consumed vegetable, provides a good quantity of vitamins. Metabolite profiling of vitamins at different stages of fruit maturity in a crop helps identify the right stage for better quality. Based on preliminary screening for quality parameters, tomato lines rich in TSS, antioxidants, lycopene and beta-carotene were selected for the present study. Eight genotypes and a wild species were profiled for 'B' vitamins at three different stages of fruit maturity, viz., green, breaker and ripe stage. A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of six 'B' vitamins was developed and validated by us. Among the genotypes studied, IIHR-249-1 recorded higher niacin, pantothenic acid and biotin content. Pyridoxine content was higher in the hybrid, Arka Rakshak. The wild species, LA-1777(Solanum habrochaites) was found to be rich in pantothenic acid, riboflavin and thiamine. Content of most of the vitamins increased with ripening of the fruit. IIHR-249-1 and LA-1777 were found to be rich in 'B' vitamins, earlier reported to be also rich in antioxidants and lycopene. These genotypes can be used for improving the nutritive value of tomato under crop improvement programmes, through conventional breeding or biotechnological approaches.