Tomatine Content in Host and Transgenic Tomatoes by Absorptiometric Measurement

Tomatine is a steroidal glycoalkaloid in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) and other Lycopersicon and Solanum Species. Tomatine is used as an indicator to evaluate the safety of transgenic tomatoes by FDA in U.S.A. We have developed a facile and rapid method for absorptiometric measurement of the tomatine content. This method was used to measure the tomatine content of fruits of a transgenic tomato cultivar (Lycopersicon esculentum) which contained an antisense polygalacturonase gene (anti-PG). We found that the tomatine content in the fruits of transgenic and non-transgenic tomatoes was very similar. The data were also compared with those of other tomato cultivars, "KAGOME 77" (L. esculentum) and "KAGOME 88" (L. esculentum).