Analytical determination of antioxidants in tomato: Typical components of the Mediterranean diet

Abstract

Diets in the countries of the Mediterranean basin are characterised by abundant plant foods (fruits, vegetables, breads, nuts, seeds, wine, and olive oil) and include fish and low-fat dairy products. Among the vegetables, tomatoes are a main component of the traditional Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with health protection and longevity. Eating tomatoes has been associated with reduced risks of some types of cancer and other diseases. These beneficial properties appear to be related to the antioxidant content of the fruit, particularly carotenoids (lycopene and beta-carotene), ascorbic acid, and phenols, which may play a role in inhibiting reactions mediated by reactive oxygen species. Due to the importance of antioxidant compounds in tomatoes and tomato products, we present here an overview of current analytical methods (from 2000 until the present date) for determining the different antioxidants. The analytical procedures used to determine individual compounds involve extraction from the sample, analytical separation, and quantification. The choice of analytical method depends on the particular focus of the analysis and the kind of product analysed. High-performance liquid chromatography is the technique of choice for the analysis of tomato antioxidants.

An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene

“…Likewise, some authors have suggested that blood levels of lycopene and other carotenoids are simply indicative of a diet that includes fruits and vegetables. A growing body of evidence indicates that whole foods may be more effective than individual compounds for lowering disease risk (Clinton 2005, Gómez-Romero et al 2007). …”

Mediterranean diet and cancer: epidemiological evidence and mechanism of selected aspects

“…Eating tomatoes has been associated with reduced risks of some types of cancer and other diseases [57]. Their constituents such as carotenoids and flavonoids contribute to the prevention of ultra violet ray damage in humans [58] and are efficient antioxidants capable of scavenging reactive oxygen species generated under conditions of photo-oxidative stress [59].…”

HPLC Method Optimization and Validation for Determination of Lycopene in Tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum</i>, Mill.) Fruits

“…Today, a number of analytical procedures have been developed and applied for the determination of antioxidants in fresh tomato and processed tomato products (Gomez-Romero et al, 2007) in a destructive and non-destructive way including electronic tongue (Rudnitskaya et al, 2001), colorimeter, electronic nose (Berna et al, 2002), the acoustic firmness sensor (AFS), near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) (Peirs et al, 2003;Yong et al, 2005;Baranska et al, 2006), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (Gladdeny and Alexanderz, 1996), NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy (Schulz et al, 2005), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), hyperspectral imaging (Berna, 2006), etc.…”