Analysis and characterization of anthocyanins and carotenoids in Japanese blue tomato

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry biotechnology, and biochemistry, 2016-02, Vol.80 (2), p.341-349
• Main Authors: Ooe, Emi, Ogawa, Kenjirou, Horiuchi, Tadashi, Tada, Hiroyuki, Murase, Hiromi, Tsuruma, Kazuhiro, Shimazawa, Masamitsu, Hara, Hideaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; anthocyanin; Anthocyanins - isolation & purification; Anthocyanins - pharmacology; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Benzothiazoles - antagonists & inhibitors; Benzothiazoles - metabolism; Carotenoids - isolation & purification; Carotenoids - pharmacology; Cell Line; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Fruit - chemistry; Hydrogen Peroxide - antagonists & inhibitors; Hydrogen Peroxide - pharmacology; lycopene, tomato; Lycopersicon esculentum - chemistry; Mice; photoreceptor cell; Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate - cytology; Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate - drug effects; Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate - physiology; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Sulfonic Acids - antagonists & inhibitors; Sulfonic Acids - metabolism
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2015.1091715

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is rich in anthocyanins, which are polyphenolic pigments. This study aimed to analyze and characterize the anthocyanin composition in cultivated blue tomato in Japan. The extracts of peel, seed, and pulp of tomatoes were purified following which anthocyanins and lycopene contents were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Eleven types of anthocyanins were identified, including delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin. Further, the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins was evaluated using 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical quenching assays and electron spin resonance. "Blue tomato" extracts exert antioxidant activity. Thus, we showed that petunidin was present in the "blue tomato" peel while lycopene was present in the peel and pulp. Additionally, the blue tomato peel extract was found to significantly inhibit H 2 O 2 -induced cell death in vitro. This is the first study on cell protective effects of Japanese blue tomato extract and petunidin in murine photoreceptor cells. This is the first study that shows qualitative and quantitative chemical characterization of the individual components responsible for the bioactivity of blue tomato extracts.