title: Irrigation of Solanum lycopersicum L. with magnetically treated water increases antioxidant properties of its tomato fruits.
abstract: Antioxidant effects of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) have been studied and an association between dietary intake of tomatoes and lowered risk of cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases has been suggested. Here we used magnetically treated water (MTW; 0.03-0.15 T), which promotes better germination and productivity in tomatoes, and we investigated the effects of aqueous and ethanolic (10-400 μg/ml) extracts of S. lycopersicum as potential antioxidant against 10 μM Fe(II)-induced thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) in liver and brain homogenates from rats. The ethanolic extracts from magnetically treated plants were more effective than aqueous extracts in preventing TBARS formation in brain and liver. The protective effects of ethanolic extract can be associated with antioxidants (polyphenols and flavonoids), lycopene and other lipophilic components found in the extract. In effect, magnetically treated plants had higher content of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds than nontreated plants and they can be a better source of antioxidants than nontreated plants. Consequently, MTW can be used to produce functional foods with high contents of antioxidant components and may have better beneficial health effects than traditionally produced foods.
authors: National Center of Applied Electromagnetism, University of Orient Ave, The Americas s/n, Santiago of Cuba City, Cuba.
authors: A E Ferrer
authors: AE
authors: Dubois
authors: G O
authors: GO
authors: Leite
authors: J B T
authors: JB
authors: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014867:Water / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014867:Water