title: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of tomato fruits synthesizing different amounts of stilbenes.
abstract: Resveratrol, a plant phenolic compound, is found in grapes and red wine, but is not widely distributed in other common food sources. The pathway for resveratrol biosynthesis is well characterized. Metabolic engineering of this compound has been achieved in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in order to improve their nutritional value. Tomato plants synthesizing resveratrol were obtained via the heterologous expression of a grape (Vitis vinifera L.) cDNA encoding for the enzyme stilbene synthase (StSy), under the control of the fruit-specific promoter TomLoxB. The resulting LoxS transgenic plants accumulated trans-resveratrol and trans-piceid, in particular in the skin of the mature fruits. Quantitative analyses carried out on LoxS fruits were compared with those of a tomato line constitutively expressing the stsy gene (35SS). The LoxS fruits contained levels of trans-resveratrol that were 20-fold lower than those previously reported for the 35SS line. The total antioxidant capability and ascorbate content in transformed fruits were also evaluated, and a significant increase in both was found in the LoxS and 35SS lines. These results could explain the higher capability of transgenic fruits to counteract the pro-inflammatory effects of phorbol ester in monocyte-macrophages via the inhibition of induced cyclo-oxygenase-2 enzyme.
authors.affiliation: CNR-Istituto di Scienze delle Produzioni Alimentari, Lecce, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Introno
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paradiso
authors.forename: Egeria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scoditti
authors.forename: Leone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Paolis
authors.forename: M Annunziata
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carluccio
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DeGara
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santino
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovinazzo
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006801:Humans; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020298:U937 Cells; D027843:Vitis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D013267:Stilbenes; D000217:Acyltransferases; C022674:stilbene synthase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D000077185:Resveratrol