erful antioxidant property turns diets rich in
this substance into preventive factors against
degenerative and cardiovascular diseases.
“This is the main reason why tomatoes and
their derivatives were included in the so-
called Mediterranean diet”, she explains.
The researcher points out that different
clinical and epidemiological studies have
confirmed that a diet rich in lycopene has
proved to reduce the risk of prostrate and
ovarian cancers. The main source of this ca-
rotenoid in a human diet is the fruit of the
tomato plant and derivative products, like
juices, jellies, soups, sauces and extracts.
Apart from its nutritional factor, the concen-
tration of lycopene in tomatoes is credited
with better visual perception.
Maria Esther clarifies that this is respon-
sible for the strong efforts towards increas-
ing the levels of this pigment in the fruits
of cultivars, both for consumption as sal-
ads and as processed products. “Lycopene
is a thermostable compound. Its struc-
ture continues intact after cooking, and re-
search findings indicate that its bioavailabil-
ity in human diet increases in processed
products”, she says. “Therefore, homemade
sauces and extracts are a healthy source of
lycopene concentrate in the diet”.
In the different segments of the toma-
to supply chain there is demand for prod-
ucts of high added value, combining aroma,
flavor and red pigmentation. The combina-
tion of these factors is seen as essential to
leverage the quality levels of tomato based
products, with the aim to reach niches of dis-
cerning standards both at home and abroad.
“The current market is also aware of lyco-
pene’s nutraceutical importance. This is
why there is expectation for an increase of
the pigmentation levels in the varieties cur-
rently in the market”, she justifies.
According to the PhD in genetics and
plant enhancement, one of the most im-
portant tasks of the genetic enhancement
programs has consisted in diversifying the
varietal panorama of the tomato plant, sup-
plying the consumers with cultivars and hy-
brids that combine nutritional factors, flavor
and taste. At the headquarters of Embrapa
Vegetables, in Brasília (DF), large-scale de-
velopment of cultivars with higher nutritive
contents, including lycopene, has been one
of the focuses of the researchers.
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PROMISINGPROJECTIONS
ResearcherMaria Esther deNoronha
Fonseca insists that the work conduc-
ted by Embrapa Vegetables to identify
genes and molecular markers associa-
ted with the accumulation of lycopene
in the genome of the tomato plant will
facilitate the genetic enhancement for
this trait. “Therefore, for the near futu-
re, there is a perspective point to new
genetic materials for the tomato plant
with even higher contents of this caro-
tenoid beneficial to human health”, he
projects. Currently, clinical studies have
recommended the consumption of 10
to 60 milligrams of lycopene for an effi-
cient protection against cancer.
