Tomato

Tomatoes(Solanum lycopersicum) originally come from South America and were brought to Europe by Columbus in 1498. It was first called the love apple or apple of paradise. Their cultivation took place in Italy in the 16th century.

The tomato is a species of plant in the Solanum genus of the Solanaceae family. It is closely related to other edible plants of the nightshade family such as the eggplant (Solanum melongena), the potato (Solanum tuberosum), the pepper (Capsicum) or the bittersweet nightshade (Solanumdulcamara).

Tomatoes are perennial plants, but are always cultivated as annuals. Unripe fruits contain the toxic steroid alkaloid solanine, which disappears only when the tomatoes reach maturity. When ripening, tomatoes usually turn red, but there are also yellow tomatoes. The reason for the discoloration is that the chlorophyll contained in the tomatoes is broken down and red lycopene is formed instead. The tomato plant is slightly hairy and gives off a somewhat strong smell. This is secreted by the glandular hairs.

The tomato contains about 30 substances that can regulate the attachment of blood platelets. Aqueous extracts from the tomato can normalize the "adhesion" of platelets without causing increased bleeding in open wounds.

In one study, the effect of tomato extract was compared with ASA. It was found to be one-third as effective as an ASA 75 mg tablet, without the side effects of ASA on the gastrointestinal tract.

Tomato allergy is not uncommon. In a collective of pollen-sensitized patients, tomato sensitization was found in 9% of patients (Foetisch 2001). Currently, 7 tomato allergens are recognized according to the IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee(http://allergen.org)

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3. O'Kennedy N. et al. 2017 Fruitflow ®: the first European Food Safety Authority-approved natural cardio-protective functional ingredient. Eur J Nutr 56(2): 461-482
4. O'Kennedy N. et al. (2017) A randomised controlled trial comparing a dietary antiplatelet, the water-soluble tomato extract Fruitflow, with 75 mg aspirin in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 71(6):723-730
5. Cámara M. et al. 2020: Evidence of antiplatelet aggregation effects from the consumption of tomato products, according to EFSA health claim requirements.Crit R ev Food Sci Nutr. 60(9):1515-1522.