A new variety of purple tomato as a rich source of bioactive carotenoids and its potential health benefits

• Published in: Heliyon Vol. 5; no. 11; p. e02831
• Main Authors: Campestrini, Luciano H., Melo, Priscilla S., Peres, Lázaro E.P., Calhelha, Ricardo C., Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R., Alencar, Severino M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antioxidant; Antiproliferative activity; Carotene; Chemical characterization of food; Chemical composition of food; Food biochemistry; Food component analysis; Food science; Hepatotoxicity; Lycopene; Phenolic compound; Solanum lycopersicum L; Food component analysis; Antiproliferative activity; Carotene; Chemical characterization of food; Chemical composition of food; Food science; Antioxidant; Phenolic compound; Solanum lycopersicum L; Food biochemistry; Hepatotoxicity; Lycopene
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02831

Carotenoid-rich fractions (CRF) from pulp and peel of a new variety of purple tomato were investigated in comparison to a Red Cherry variety regarding carotenoids characterization, antioxidant capacity, and inhibition of proliferation of four tumor cell lines. CRF from peel of Purple tomato contains lutein, lycopene, and β-carotene up to 6, 1.5, and 2.5 times more than that of Red Cherry and it exhibited the highest antioxidant activity at 400 μg/mL, reaching 82% and 97% in DPPH and ABTS•+ assays, respectively. Besides that, the Purple peel showed the highest scavenging lipoperoxides capacity as well as displayed the highest ferric reducing antioxidant power compared to the other CRF. In turn, the Red Cherry pulp CRF showed the highest antiproliferative activity against four tumor cell lines (MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2) at non-toxic concentrations. High concentration of neurosporene, and lycopene in Red Cherry pulp CRF show to be related to the good antiproliferative activity found on it. Therefore, this new variety of nutrient-rich purple tomato could be explored as well as the commercial variety Red Cherry, since both are good sources of dietary carotenoids with health-promoting properties. Food Science; Antioxidant; Phenolic Compound; Food Component Analysis; Chemical Composition of Food; Chemical Characterization of Food; Food Biochemistry; Lycopene; Carotene; Hepatotoxicity; Antiproliferative activity; Solanum lycopersicum L.