ABSTRACT
Because of its high nutrient content and health advantages, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum [Lin.] Con., Solanaceae) are a highly prized fruit and vegetable all over the world. Despite being cultivated all over the world, S. lycopersicum is a South American-born plant. The northern region of Nigeria is where tomato cultivation predominates; there, they are grown in backyard gardens and far-off farms. The purpose of this study is to look into the phytochemicals and close-by components of Nigerian tomato cultivars. Four tomato varieties were procured from a neighborhood market in Benin City, Edo State. At the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research in Yaba and Lagos State, conventional biochemical techniques were used to examine the phytochemical and proximate content of ripe and unripe tomato fruits. The following nutrients were measured: -carotene, lycopene, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, tannin, saponin alkaloid, cardiac glycosides, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The results suggest that both the ripe and unripe fruits of the different tomato cultivars had high moisture and low crude fiber. Moreover, it also showed high β-carotene and lycopene in the ripe fruit accessions. It also showed high vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B3 content in the ripe fruit variety and high vitamin C in the unripe of the tomato accession. Overall, the results suggest higher proximate and phytochemical contents in ripe fruits than the unripe ones. The findings have further implicated the preference for ripe fruits compared to the unripe fruits. Therefore, post-harvest management should be enhanced in order to increase the availability and consumption of the ripe fruits considering their low shelf life. In conclusion, this work has contributed to our knowledge of the phytochemical composition of ripe and unripe tomato fruits. Furthermore, there is a need to increase the cultivation of the plant to ensure food security, improve health status of the populace and ensure sustainability.
