Tomato-based food products for prostate cancer prevention: what have we learned?

Abstract

Evidence derived from a vast array of laboratory studies and epidemiological investigations have implicated diets rich in fruits and vegetables with a reduced risk of certain cancers. However, these approaches cannot demonstrate causal relationships and there is a paucity of randomized, controlled trials due to the difficulties involved with executing studies of food and behavioral change. Rather than pursuing the definitive intervention trials that are necessary, the thrust of research in recent decades has been driven by a reductionist approach focusing upon the identification of bioactive components in fruits and vegetables with the subsequent development of single agents using a pharmacologic approach. At this point in time, there are no chemopreventive strategies that are standard of care in medical practice that have resulted from this approach. This review describes an alternative approach focusing upon development of tomato-based food products for human clinical trials targeting cancer prevention and as an adjunct to therapy. Tomatoes are a source of bioactive phytochemicals and are widely consumed. The phytochemical pattern of tomato products can be manipulated to optimize anticancer activity through genetics, horticultural techniques, and food processing. The opportunity to develop a highly consistent tomato-based food product rich in anticancer phytochemicals for clinical trials targeting specific cancers, particularly the prostate, necessitates the interactive transdisciplinary research efforts of horticulturalists, food technologists, cancer biologists, and clinical translational investigators.

Vitamin Deficiencies in Humans: Can Plant Science Help?

“…The two unmodified b-ionine rings of b-carotene means that upon cleavage two molecules of retinoic acid can be formed; this unique property among carotenoid molecules has lead to b-carotene being the principal focus for alleviating provitamin A deficiency. Although vitamin A deficiency is not prevalent in Western societies, there is a wealth of scientific evidence to indicate that enhancing carotenoids in the diet, either provitamin A or non provitamin A (e.g., lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin), can contribute to the reduction of some chronic diseases, especially when consumed in fruits and vegetables (Van den Berg et al, 2000;Voutilainen et al, 2006;Tan et al, 2010). It should be noted that while two intervention studies using b-carotene supplements (the ATBC and CARET studies) failed to confirm the beneficial role of this carotenoid on lung cancer (Rautalahti et al, 1997;Omenn, 2007), this does not call into question the beneficial role of this carotenoid when present in its natural matrix (i.e., fruits and vegetables).…”

Postharvest Handling Practices and Treatment Methods for Tomato Handlers in Developing Countries: A Mini Review

“…Although the crop is believed to have been originated from the wild in Peru, Ecuador, and other parts of tropical Americas [2], the nutritional and economic importance of the crop has led to its global production. By weight, tomatoes rank second only to potatoes in global production of all horticultural produce [3]. Tomato can be eaten in various ways and in a countless number of dishes.…”

Determination of Carotenoids in Tomato Products Using Vis/Nir Spectroscopy

“…With regards to the economic importance and consumption in the whole world after potatoes, tomatoes are in second place, since they are used in the food industry as raw material for the production of several products such as juices, sauces, purees, pastes, and canned tomatoes. Recently, the consumption of tomatoes has been associated with the prevention of several diseases, like some cancers and cardiovascular diseases (Basu and Imrhan, 2007;Tan et al, 2010), mainly due to their content of antioxidants, including carotenes (lycopene as well as ß-carotene), tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and phenolic compounds (Jacob et al, 2010). Carotenoids are mostly found intracellularly in the chromoplast and chloroplast membranes in plants, they have been structurally classified as carotenoids, including β-carotene, α-carotene, and xanthophylls such as β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, violaxanthin, fucoxanthin and neoxanthin (Gómez-García and Ochoa-Alejo, 2013).…”