Alteration of nutritional and antioxidant level of ethylene receptor tomato mutants, Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2

New ethylene insensitive mutant alleles, Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2 which have a mutation at the first and second transmembrane domain of ethylene receptor gene of SlETR1, have a potential characteristic in improving postharvest life of tomato fruits. This study elucidates the impact of Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2 mutation in alternating nutritional and antioxidant levels of tomato fruits at three stages of fruit maturation. The result showed that Sletr1-1 and Sletr1-2 mutations significantly reduced water content, total soluble solid and total sugar content and increased the titratable acidity independently of the tomato maturation. Those mutations also reduced lycopene, β-carotene, flavonoid content dependently of the tomato maturation, but did not change the total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity independently of the tomato maturation. These results indicate that ethylene has an important role in the alteration of nutritional and antioxidant levels during fruit ripening and the inhibition of ethylene perception due to SlETR1 mutation negatively impacting nutritional and antioxidant levels.