Tomato consumption does not affect the total antioxidant capacity of plasma

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of tomato intake on total a ntioxidant activity of plasma measured by the radical trapping antioxidant parameter assay in 11 healthy female subjects. After 7 d of a diet low in c arotenoids and free from lycopene, subjects ate 25 g tomato puree daily (co ntaining 7.0 mg lycopene and 0.25 mg beta-carotene) for 14 consecutive days . At the beginning and end of tomato supplementation, the carotenoid plasma concentration and the total antioxidant activity of plasma were assessed. Before tomato puree consumption, mean +/- SE total lycopene and beta-carote ne plasma concentrations were 0.13 +/- 0.02 mu mol/L and 0.24 +/- 0.04 mu m ol/L, respectively. After tomato puree supplementation, both concentrations increased significantly (0.57 +/- 0.06 mu mol/L, P < 0.0001 for total lyco pene, and 0.31 +/- 0.04 mu mol/L, P = 0.0036 for beta-carotene); however, t otal plasma antioxidant capacity values did not change significantly. From our results, intake of a food rich in carotenoids does not seem to modify t he antioxidant capacity of plasma as evaluated by the radical trapping anti oxidant parameter assay. Nutrition 2000;16:268-271. (C)Elsevier Science Inc . 2000.