According to the article “Phytochemical composition and in vitro anti-tumor activities of selected tomato varieties” published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture by researchers from the University of Almeria, some compounds of tomato, such as lycopene, act against tumor cell development, original from colon, preventing its proliferation.
Researchers from the research group of Chemistry of Biomolecules and nutritional processes from the University of Almeria have confirmed that tomato extracts have activity against colon cancer.
They have included tests where the joint effect on cell cultivations of tomato carotenoids has been analyzed together with olive oil. Tests confirm that the inhibitor effects are higher than the ones obtained in the individual tests. According to the authors, there are many different compounds with antitumor action in olive oil, such as polyphenols that add to the action of the bioactive substances of tomato.
In the tests, researchers worked with HT-29 cell lines, a human bowel cancer line. All varieties of tomatoes were analyzed to know their composition in bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, sterols, phenolic acids and fatty acids. So, the action of different concentrations of these extracts against cancer cells could be determined, comparing them with controls of these cells without adding extracts against other non-tumor cells from the colon.
On the one hand, results have demonstrated that tomato compounds act against tumor cells, and the healthy cells are not jeopardized by its action. On the other hand, it has been confirmed that some types of tomato are more efficient than others in this activity. Specifically, the reddest ones are the ones that produce a more active response against tumor cells because they contain a higher proportion of lycopene and fatty acids.
In the same line, another test has had vegetables as objective such as arugula and canon, which act against colon cancer cells. In this case, it could be verified that arugula extracts affect to the integrity of the tumor cells besides inhibiting the proliferation.
As José Luis Guil Guerrero comments, “Although all tomatoes provide bioactive compounds to the organism, these investigations mark the difference between the different varieties and show how olive oil amplifies its intensity. This confirms that certain culinary preparations of the Mediterranean Diet, such as gazpacho or salads, can be excellent allies in the prevention of some types of cancer”.