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. 2023 Dec 21;10(1):10.
doi: 10.3390/gels10010010.

Innovative Protein Gel Treatments to Improve the Quality of Tomato Fruit

Gabriela Luta  1 , Daniela Balan  1 , Maria Stanca  2 , Ovidiu Jerca  1 , Stefana Jurcoane  1 , Mihaela Niculescu  2 , Carmen Gaidau  2 , Ioana Rodica Stanculescu  3   4
Affiliations

Innovative Protein Gel Treatments to Improve the Quality of Tomato Fruit

Gabriela Luta et al. Gels. .

Abstract

This study aims to establish the effect of biostimulatory protein gels on the quality of tomato. One of the most consumed vegetables, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a rich source of healthy constituents. Two variants of protein gels based on bovine gelatin and keratin hydrolysates obtained from leather industry byproducts were used for periodical application on the tomato plant roots in the early stage of vegetation. The gels were characterized by classical physicochemical methods and protein secondary structure was obtained by FTIR band deconvolution. After ripening, tomato was analyzed regarding its content of quality indicators (sugars and organic acids) and antioxidants (lycopene, β-carotene, vitamin C, polyphenols). The results emphasized the positive effects of the protein gels on the quality parameters of tomato fruit. An increase of 10% of dry matter and of 30% (in average) in the total soluble sugars was noted after biostimulant application. Also, lycopene and vitamin C recorded higher values (by 1.44 and 1.29 times, respectively), while β-carotene showed no significant changes. The biostimulant activity of protein gels was correlated with their amino acid composition. Plant biostimulants are considered an ecological alternative to conventional treatments for improving plant growth, and also contributing to reduce the intake of chemical fertilizers.

Keywords: antioxidant activity; biostimulants; bovine gelatin; keratin; lycopene; polyphenols; vitamin C.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC chromatograms of amino acids from the GB3 (a) and GB3K (b) products.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FTIR spectra of the GB3 (a) and GB3K (b) products.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Amide I band deconvolution of the GB3 (a) and GB3K (b) products.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Variability of some biochemical parameters in the analyzed tomato fruit. Data are calculated as the mean of triplicate ± standard deviation; values marked with different letters show significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Variability of carotenoid pigments in the analyzed tomato fruit. Data are calculated as the mean of triplicate ± standard deviation; values marked with different letters show significant differences (p < 0.05).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Variability of some antioxidants in the analyzed tomato fruit. Data are calculated as the mean of triplicate ± standard deviation; values marked with different letters show significant differences (p < 0.05).
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