INFLUENCE OF DRYING ON THE LYCOPENE CONTENT OF TOMATOES GROWN IN BURKINA FASO

Drying operations aim to preserve food for extendedstorage periods. They induce variations in the food composition. This work aims to evaluate the influence of drying on the lycopene contents of twenty tomato samples of the Mongal F1 variety grown in Burkina Faso. The results in milligrams of lycopene per hundred grams of tomatoes are thus expressed. The fresh tomato had an average lycopene content of 4.37 mg/100g, while the dried tomato samples had an average content of 3.07mg/100g; a drop of 29.75%. The highest content for fresh tomatoes is 5.41 mg/100g, and the lowest is 3.11 mg/100g. As for the dried samples'the highest content is 4.22 mg/100g, and the lowest is 2.06 mg/100g. Generally, lycopene contents decreased during drying. Given these results, it would be desirable to encourage the consumption of tomatoes in their fresh state and for the cultivation of tomatoes to be encouraged and popularized, given their high lycopene content.