Chemical Characterisation and Antihypertensive Effects of Locular Gel and Serum of <i>Lycopersicum esculentum</i> L. var. “Camone” Tomato in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Paola Marcolongo,
Alessandra Gamberucci,
Gabriella Tamasi,
Alessio Pardini,
Claudia Bonechi,
Claudio Rossi,
Roberta Giunti,
Virginia Barone,
Annalisa Borghini,
Paolo Fiorenzani,
Maria Frosini,
Massimo Valoti,
Federica Pessina
Affiliations
Paola Marcolongo
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Alessandra Gamberucci
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Gabriella Tamasi
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Alessio Pardini
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Claudia Bonechi
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Claudio Rossi
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Roberta Giunti
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Virginia Barone
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Annalisa Borghini
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Paolo Fiorenzani
Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
Maria Frosini
Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Massimo Valoti
Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Federica Pessina
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
Blood pressure control in hypertensive subjects calls for changes in lifestyle, especially diet. Tomato is widely consumed and rich in healthy components (i.e., carotenoids, vitamins and polyphenols). The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antihypertensive effects of locular gel reconstituted in serum of green tomatoes of “Camone” variety. Tomato serum and locular gel were chemically characterised. The antihypertensive effects of the locular gel in serum, pure tomatine, and captopril, administered by oral gavage, were investigated for 4 weeks in male spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were monitored using the tail cuff method. Body and heart weight, serum glucose, triglycerides and inflammatory cytokines, aorta thickness and liver metabolising activity were also assessed. Locular gel and serum showed good tomatine and polyphenols content. Significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as in inflammatory blood cytokines and aorta thickness, were observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats treated both with locular gel in serum and captopril. No significant effects were observed in normotensive rats. Green tomatoes locular gel and serum, usually discarded during tomato industrial processing, are rich in bioactive compounds (i.e., chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and rutin, as well as the glycoalkaloids, α-tomatine and dehydrotomatine) that can lower in vivo blood pressure towards healthier values, as observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
