To determine the bioactive compound of domestic cherry tomato, the levels of lycopene, β-carotene, and phenolic compounds were analyzed in three domestic cherry tomato cultivars (Summerking, Qutiquti, and Minchal) using HPLC and LC-MS/MS. The levels of lycopene were 69.40 mg/100 g (Qutiquti), 69.07 mg/100 g (Minichal), and 38.52 mg/100 g (Summerking). The contents of β-carotene were 3.35 mg/100 g (Qutiquti), 2.30 mg/100 g (Summerking), and 2.25 mg/100 g (Minichal). Five phenolic compounds were identified exactly as 3-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin-3-apiosylrutinoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside, and naringenin chalcone from three domestic cherry tomatoes. Five phenolic compounds were identified partially as two isomers of caffeic acid-hexose, caffeoylquinic acid isomer, di-caffeoylquinic acid, and tri-caffeoylquinic acid from three domestic cherry tomatoes. Naringenin chalcone was the most abundant phenolic compound, ranging from 78.2 mg/100 g for Qutiquti to 222.9 mg/100 g for Summerking. High levels of quercetin-3-rutinoside and 5-caffeoylquinic acid were found, ranging 24.3-50.8 mg/100 g and 31.8-47.6 mg/100 g, respectively. These results suggested that domestic cherry tomatoes can be used as bioactive food materials.

천연색소는 색을 발현할 수 있는 물질로서 식품, 화장품, 의약품 등에 사용된다. 천연색소는 동・식물에서 추출하여 만들기 때문에 크기가 균일하지 않으며 특히 적색색소의 경우, 다른 색의 색소 에 비해 친유성이 강해 수용액 상태에서 쉽게 응집이 되는 경향이 있다. 또한 응집에 의한 크기변화로 인해 색의 재현이 어려운 문제점이 있다. 적색색소로 기존에 사용했던 동물성 색소인 코치닐 추출 색 소는 알레르기를 유발하고 식용으로서의 거부감이 있는 등의 문제점으로 인하여 사용이 기피되는 추 세이다. 본 연구에서는 적색의 식물성 색소인 라이코펜 추출물과 치자황색소를 사용하였고 Ball-milling을 이용하여 색소의 크기를 균일하게 만든 후 Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation(AsFlFFF), Dynamic light scattering(DLS)를 이용하여 크기를 분석하고 색차계를 이용하 여 색을 확인하는 연구를 진행하였다. 실험결과 milling 전에는 색소 입자의 크기가 크고 크기분포가 넓었으나, milling 후에는 크기가 감소하고 크기분포가 좁아짐을 확인하였다. 색차계 측정 결과, milling 시간이 증가함에 따라 밝기, 적색도, 황색도가 높아져서 밝은 적색을 나타내었다.

Lycopene, found in tomatoes and tomato products, has antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. High-mobility-group box 1 (HMGB1) mediates the pro-inflammatory responses in several inflammatory diseases. In this study, the potential roles of lycopene in the HMGB1-mediated pro-inflammatory gene expressions in the primary human-umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated. The data showed that HMGB1 upregulated the expressions of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2)-IIA, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Lycopene pre-incubation for 6 h decreased the HMGB1-mediated induction of MCP-1, IL-6, sPLA2-IIA, and PGE2. Further study revealed that the inhibitory effects of lycopene on the HMGB-1 induced expression of pro-inflammatory genes were mediated by the inhibition of two important inflammatory cytokines: tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. These results suggest that HMGB1 upregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and lycopene inhibited HMGB-1-induced pro-inflammatory genes by inhibiting TNF-α and NF-κB. This finding will serve as an important evidence in the development of a new medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.