摘要
Tomato(Solanum lycopersicum)is the second most important vegetable crop globally,after potato,with about 100 million tons fresh fruit being grown on 3.7 million hectares(FAO 2021),and is of great importance in the human diet due to the large amount of fruit consumed.The fruit are eaten both fresh and,equally importantly,as a processed product in puree,soups and canned products.They provide an important dietary source of vitamins and minerals,such as K,Fe and Ca,and are known for the large number of health promoting secondary metabolites,including the carotenoid and flavonoid pigments that give the fruit a spectrum of yellow,red and orange colours.
