Data from: Extraction of alpha-tomatine from green tomatoes by subcritical water

Green tomatoes, a by-product of agro-food industry, are rich in the
glycoalkaloid alpha-tomatine. This compound presents health benefits
including anti-inflammatory and fungicide properties. Subcritical water
(SWE) extraction, a green and sustainable process, was used to extract
tomatine from fresh or frozen tomatoes. SWE extracted ca. 200 mg
tomatine/100 g tomato, an amount higher than conventional methods, at a
temperature of 190 ̊C and a residence time of 15 minutes. Green tomatoes
SWE extracts were characterized in terms of their composition and
antioxidant activity. The phenolic content obtained was approximately 200
mg of gallic acid equivalents/100 g tomatoes and the saponin content was
1000 mg of tomatine equivalents/100 g tomatoes. Total carbohydrates
content was different between fresh and frozen tomatoes, 1812 mg of
D(+)-glucose equivalents/100 g tomatoes versus 1269 mg/100 g,
respectively. In terms of antioxidant activity, a value around 100 mg of
Trolox equivalents/100 g of tomatoes was obtained in the DPPH assay
whereas a value of 558 mg of Trolox equivalents/100 mg fresh tomatoes
versus 452 mg of Trolox equivalents/100 g frozen tomatoes were obtained by
CUPRAC assay. SWE extraction proved to be a valuable method to extract
glycoalkaloids from green tomatoes. The obtained extracts have potential
to be used as ingredients and actives in cosmetic and pharmaceutical
industry.