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Mice fed with purple tomatoes had a significant increase in their lifespan. Humans might also benefit from the protective effects.
s part of the FLORA (Flavonoids and Phenolics for healthy living using orally recommended antioxidants) project, a European effort to expand our knowledge on natural antioxidants, researchers from participating centers have engineered tomatoes containing high amounts of the antioxidant anthocyanin. Cancer-prone mice fed with purple tomatoes had a significant increase in their lifespan. Humans might also benefit from the protective effects if we include them in our diet. Anthocyanins, which belong to the family of antioxidant compounds named Flavonoids, are
mostly present in vegetables and fruits, in the form of red, blue, or purple pigments. Former studies have found that anthocyanins hinder cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, obesity, diabetes, and blindness when properly included in our diet. However, the majority of people in the Western world do not have an adequate intake of these compounds. Thus, producing vegetables and fruits expressing elevated levels of flavonoids, without altering other properties such as taste, is highly desirable.
If the tomatoes are found to be safe for human consumption, future steps will probably seek to confirm the antioxidant and anti-cancerous effect of purple tomatoes in volunteers. Until then, we should keep eating the five recommended portions of vegetables and fruits a day to prevent
Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red, purple, or blue depending on the pH. They belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway; they are odorless and nearly flavorless, contributing to taste as a moderately astringent sensation. Anthocyanins occur in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.
and die at a young age), mice missing the p53 gene that were given purple tomatoes, lived considerably longer than the ones on a standard diet.
An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions.