Lycopene content of foods and the dietary intake

Lycopene content of foods and the dietary intake of lycopene in Hungary Andrea Lugasi 1, Zoltán Pék 2, Gyöngyi Györéné Kis 1, 3, Judit Hóvári 1, Lajos Helyes 2 1 National Institute for Food and Nutrition Science, 1097 Budapest, Hungary, lugasi. andrea@oeti. antsz. hu 2 Szent István University, Institute for Horticultural Technology, 2103 Gödöllő, Hungary 3 Szent István University, Ph. D School of Environmental Science, 2103 Gödöllő, Hungary Introduction Lycopene is the red pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-color ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment characterised by a symmetric and acyclic structure containing 11 conjugated double bonds. Because lycopene lacks the -ionone ring structure of characteristic for -carotene, it does not have provitamin A activity and but it has a direct protective effect against free radicals. The large array of conjugated double bonds and extreme hydrophobicity, exhibits many unique and distinct biologic properties. Main dietary sources of lycopene are tomato and foods prepared with tomato, watermelon, red grapefruit and some other exotic fruits. In the frame of a 10 years’ cooperation with Szent István University, Institute of Horticultural Technology the National Institute for Food and Nutrition Science (NIFNS) have measured the lycopene content of at least two dozen tomato varieties, and investigated the effects of horticultural techniques and weather conditions on lycopene level of tomato fruits. Foods consumed as part of an ordinary diet were also investigated. Dietary lycopene intake of the Hungarian population was estimated based on the lycopene content frequently consumed in the country. Materials Commercially available tomato products including juice, pasta, sauces, concentrate, semi prepared products such as soup and sauce powders, and ready-to-eat meals were purchased from local supermarkets. In each experiments fresh tomato fruits were obtained from the test sites of Szent István University, Gödöllő. Each variety was cultivated in four replications. Tomato fruits were collected at fully mature stage, at average berry size characteristic of given variety. Lycopene content of foods and tomato fruits was measured spectrophotometrically at 502 nm after an extraction with hexane. Concentration of lycopene was calculated using the molar extinction coefficient of 158 500. Lycopene data come from the analytical results were built into an existing computer system used for calculation of the intake of different nutrients. Based on these data the lycopene content of several meals (more than 2600) was calculated. The nutritional assessment was carried out by a 3 -day record (including two non-consecutive workdays and one Sunday) within a 2 -week period. Firstly, the lycopene intake was estimated in two small groups of the Hungarian population including 521 schoolboys and girls aged 12 -15 years, and 204 healthy adults aged 25 -60 years. In the second estimation dietary intake data of 1360 person participated in the National Population Dietary Survey, 2003 -2004 was calculated. Results Lycopene content of commercially available foods in Hungary, mg/100 g Food Lycopene Apricot, n=8 Peach, n=5 Water-melon, n=10 Musk-melon, n=3 Rhubarb, n=3 Grapefruit, Ruby Red, n=5 Commercially available fresh tomato fruits, n=35 Pumpkin, n=5 Ready-to eat foods (letcho, tomato soup, white cabbage with tomato, etc. ), n=10 0. 54 ± 0. 08 0. 11 ± 0. 06 4. 77 ± 1. 18 0. 21 ± 0. 06 0. 12 ± 0. 02 0. 75 ± 0. 09 0. 85 - 11. 4 0. 50 ± 0. 06 Tomato juice, n=5 Tomato without skin in can, n=3 Tomato flake, n=3 Concentrated tomato, n= 6 Ketchup, n=9 Pizza cream, n=3 Semi-prepared foods, n=9 Baby foods, n=5 Instant foods (sauce for macaroni Milanese, spaghetti Bolognese, Mexican bean, etc. ), n=11 9. 8 1. 28 14. 5 1. 8 90. 2 7. 3 71. 6 24. 3 15. 3 ± 6. 1 20. 3 ± 12. 2 4. 5 4. 2 1. 7 4. 7 2. 4 Indeterminate Gender Age, y Subjects Average SD Min Max Dietary intake of lycopene in Hungary, mg/day/capita Female Male 18 -34 35 -59 ≥ 60 total 18 -34 35 -59 ≥ 60 206 341 268 815 154 232 159 2. 65 2. 39 2. 37 2. 45 2. 73 2. 27 1. 99 4. 45 3. 27 3. 08 3. 55 3. 24 3. 21 3. 34 0 0 0 0 40. 1 20. 37 16. 55 40. 1 16. 96 20. 0 17. 79 total 545 2. 32 3. 26 0 20. 0 21. 8 10. 8 Wide range of lycopene content was detected in different commercial food products containing tomato. Lycopene content ranged in commercially available fresh tomato from 0. 85 mg/100 g to 13. 6 mg/100 g. Products used as sauces had moderate lycopene levels ranging from 9. 3 to 18. 0 mg/100 g. Condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce had moderate to high levels of lycopene (1. 9 -26. 2 mg/100 g). Instant foods containing tomato powder had the highest lycopene levels ranging from 5. 6 to 35. 9 mg/100 g. Since the optimal temperature for lycopene Cherry type cv. Determinate synthesis is between 16 -21 o. C, significantly lower level of lycopene by 25 -30 % could be detected in fruits of Lemance F 1 variety directly exposed to sunlight having higher surface temperature than in that being in the shadow of leaves and having lower surface temperature. Significantly different lycopene levels were observed in different tomato varieties, the highest level was observed in industrial cultivars, middle values were in fruits of eating varieties harvested in green house, while the lowest levels could be detected in tomato cultivars for fresh consumption harvested in open air. It was established that several factors including harvesting date, the weather conditions 10 -15 days before the harvesting, the water-stress, the grafting significantly modify the lycopene level of berries. Based on the consumption data from three day dietary records, the lycopene intake was estimated in a children’s (n=502) and an adult’s (n=205) group as Total 2. 98 4. 71 mg/day/capita, and 4. 24 8. 47 mg/day/capita, respectively. Data showed very big differences among subjects. Using the data of the National 1360 Population Dietary Survey in Hungary, the population intake of lycopene was around 2 mg/capita/day, but the lowest and highest levels showed very wide 2. 39 range of intake as 0 -40 mg/capita/day. The estimated Hungarian intake is 3. 44 higher than the Dutch (1. 0 -1. 3 mg), German (1. 28 mg) and American (0. 590 1. 62 mg) ones, similar to data in Croatia reported (3. 35 -4. 82 mg), but lower than that in Canada (25. 2 mg). 40. 1 Lycopene has an excellent antioxidant capacity, its preventive and health-promoting properties are well-known and widely proved epidemiologically and experimentally, as well. Climate conditions in Hungary make possible to produce very valuable tomato fruits either economically or nutritionally. Dietary recommendations have been set to increase the lycopene intake by a complex approach including providing the best circumstances for tomato production either in open-air or in greenhouse, using the best tomato cultivars for fresh consumption, and eating more fresh and processed tomato, or tomato containing food products. Studies were partly supported by NTP project, Hungary (TECH_09_A 3; USOK 2009). 6 th International Congress on Pigments in Food, Budapest, 22 -26 June, 2010.