Tomato polyphenolics: Putative applications to health and disease

Tomato and its products are valuable sources of polyphenols, including naringenin chalcone, rutin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, naringenin, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and kaempferol, which have been reported to have some positive health effects such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, especially prostate cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. These compounds have shown antioxidant properties by quenching reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that play key roles in the formation of chronic diseases. However, the health effects of tomato have been mainly associated with carotenoids and there are a limited number of studies on tomato polyphenols. So, further research unraveling the mechanism of tomato polyphenols on their health-associated effects is necessary. This chapter critically reviews both in vivo and in vitro studies on the effect of tomato polyphenols on chronic diseases.