Antioxidant capacity of lycopene-containing foods

Increased consumption of tomatoes and tomato products has been associated with decreased cancer risks. One fat-soluble compound identified in tomatoes which may be responsible for this association is lycopene. There may, however, be other antioxidants present in tomato-based foods, and total antioxidant capacity may be another way to rate the health benefits of these foods. In this work, we examined the Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of aqueous and organic extracts of lycopene-containing foods: ketchup, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato juice, vegetable juice, canned tomatoes and watermelon. Antioxidant activity in these food extracts was greater in the aqueous versus organic fractions, except for watermelon and tomato sauce where the levels were similar in the two fractions. Lycopene levels in the food samples tested, however, were relatively greater in the organic fractions, with the exception of the two juices, which had similar levels in the two fractions, and two highly concentrated tomato products, tomato paste and ketchup, which had relatively higher lycopene levels in the aqueous fractions. The foods with the highest antioxidant capacity per serving overall (tomato soup was highest) did not have the highest lycopene levels. This indicates that it may be important to consume a variety of tomato-containing products in order to obtain the largest variety of dietary antioxidants possible.