ABSTRACT
Raw and processed tomato byproducts (raw, cooked in several dishes, sauces, salads, and beverages) are important components of the Mediterranean diet. Egypt is one of the main countries to produce and export tomato. The fruit is available year-round in the three harvest seasons as it can be cultivated in all the regions of Egypt. Tomato is rich in health food-components, including vitamins, organic acids, amino acids, and minerals, as well as bioactive secondary metabolites such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids (lycopene, α- and β-carotene), and steroidal glycoalkaloids (tomatine). Tomato showed a broad array of biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and hepatoprotective activities. Recent research reported that high dietary intake of the fruit and its byproducts could prevent the formation and the development of cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. This health benefit is mainly attributed to the antioxidant power of its phytoconstituents. This chapter spotlights the phytochemical and health benefits of phenolic constituents of the tomato fruit and its byproducts.
