Lycopene and flavonoids represent interesting bio-molecules for increasing the overall antioxidant capacity and health-promoting capacity of tomatoes. Strategy for improvement involves selection of genotypes showing favourable response to environmental variations and biotic
stresses. Changing global climatic patterns, water stress, salinity and UV radiation are challenges for plant breeders to develop adaptable cultivars with desirable traits through conventional and transgenic means. There is an urgent need to tap the unlocked potential of wild genotypes of tomato for improving quality. Integrating knowledge on the effects of environmental factors on the antioxidant quality and incorporation of wild genotypes will yield functionally laced and healthier tomatoes.
Encouraging results from transgenic tomatoes with enhanced flavonoids represent a trend for production of neutraceutical tomatoes with cardio-protective and anticancerous effects. However, the issue of yield and disease susceptibility of high-antioxidant cultivars needs to be addressed to systematically capitalize on the consumer market. Genotypic labelling for antioxidant quality tomatoes requires consistent use of standardized assays and indexes incorporating both antioxidant quality and technological parameters.
ABBREVIATIONS
ABTS: 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid diammo-nium salt; AOX: Antioxidant activity; CPTA: 2-4–chloro phenyl thiotriethylamine hydrochloride; DMPD: N,N’-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine; DPPH: 2,2 diphenyl picryl hydrazyl; FRAP: Ferric reducing antioxidant power; IQUAN: Index for antioxidant nutritional quality; ORAC: Oxygen radical absorbance capacity; TEAC: Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity
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A list of abbreviations is given before the references.