ABSTRACT
A continuous understanding of the relationship between food genotype and diet-related diseases has initiated an exciting era for nutritional and medicinal science. The proven beneficial effects of the “Mediterranean diet”, a phenomenon partly attributed to lycopene, have fuelled great interest in exploring antioxidants in tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Antioxidant composition in tomatoes is a strong environment-regulated genetic response and strategies to enhance antioxidant levels involve mediation of the cultivars, temperature, light, mineral content and post-harvest ripening. Huge genetic variability among commercial and wild genotypes offers considerable opportunity to improve functional quality in tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes and Mediterranean cultivars seem to be valuable genotypes with indisputable high antioxidant composition. Lycopersicon pennelli var. puberulum and accession LA 1996 seem to be promising wild genotypes for producing tomatoes rich in flavonoid and anthocyanin through genetic manipulations. Antioxidant labeling for defining functional quality in tomatoes relies on selection of a standardized assay system including both hydrophilic and lipophilic components.
