title: The genotypic variation of the antioxidant potential of different tomato varieties.
abstract: There is increasing interest in the ability of diets rich in polyphenols to modulate age-related diseases and promote healthy ageing. We have conducted a pilot experiment with eight tomato varieties to correlate the total antioxidant capacity of the tomato variants with the specific constituent flavonoids present. A strong correlation was observed with the flavonol rhamnoglucoside rutin but not with other flavonoids, such as naringenin chalcone, or hydroxycinnamates, such as chlorogenic, which are also present in the tomato. To test the rigor of this correlation a second study was undertaken with a further 37 tomato varieties selected for low, medium and high rutin levels. We show that the flavonol rutin contributes to the greatest extent to the antioxidant capacity of tomatoes and suggest that this flavonoid may be a useful target for up-regulation in tomatoes in order to improve their antioxidant status.
authors.affiliation: Antioxidant Research Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Disease, GKT School of Biomedical Science, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK. j.p.e.spencer@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jeremy P E
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Gunter G C
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Kuhnle
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajirezaei
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Mock
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sonnewald
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rice-Evans
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D012431:Rutin / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012431:Rutin