Carotenoid and Flavonoid Absorption From Red and Tangerine-Type Tomatoes

Overview

Eating a diet rich in tomatoes has been associated with decreased risk for a variety of diseases. Tomatoes contain red-colored lycopene (one type of pigment in the class of pigments called carotenoids), which has been associated with the decreased risk of disease in those consuming tomato products; however, tomatoes also contain flavonoids, which may also have health promoting effects. The Tangerine tomato, a unique tomato variety, contains lycopene in a different form that in red tomatoes and this contributes to their characteristic orange color. This "orange lycopene" is more similar to the most common form of lycopene found in the blood and tissue of people who eat a tomato-rich diet, and may be more easily absorbed by the body. The objectives of this study are to determine if carotenoids and flavonoids from Tangerine tomatoes are more easily absorbed by the body than red tomatoes, and to examine if eating Tangerine versus red tomatoes impacts markers of inflammation (response to harmful substances by the body).

The primary goal of this research is to determine if a processed Tangerine tomato product has enhanced bioavailability of carotenoids and flavonoids compared to a commercially available processed red tomato product in humans. This primary objective will be accomplished by quantifying carotenoids from post-prandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fractions of plasma and flavonoids from whole plasma and urine, after subjects consume a meal containing Tangerine or red tomato juice. A secondary goal is to examine if short-term delivery of bioactives from Tangerine and red tomatoes impact markers of inflammation in humans. This secondary objective will be accomplished by analyzing plasma for both interleukin-6 (IL-6), a marker for inflammation, and RNA to assess alterations in transcription of genes that regulate inflammation.