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Posted on Jan 18, 2011, 6 a.m.
Tomatoes are rich in 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, a compound that Japanese researchers find exert anti-dyslipidemic effects.
Tomato is one of the most common crops worldwide, and numerous previous studies document that the fruit contains many beneficial compounds that improve abnormalities of lipid metabolism. Teruo Kawada, from Kyoto University (Japan), and colleagues explored the role of tomato compounds in affecting dyslipidemia, a condition which is caused by an abnormal amount of lipids, such as cholesterol or fat, in the bloodstream. The team analyzed 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, a compound abundantly found in tomato, and found it enhanced fatty acid oxidation and contributed to the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism, via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha) pathway. As a result, the researchers posit that 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid exerts anti-dyslipidemia affects and may aid in the prevention of vascular diseases.
Kim YI, Hirai S, Takahashi H, Goto T, Ohyane C, Tsugane T, Konishi C, Fujii T, Inai S, Iijima Y, Aoki K, Shibata D, Takahashi N, Kawada T. “9-oxo-10(E),12(E)-octadecadienoic acid derived from tomato is a potent PPAR alpha agonist to decrease triglyceride accumulation in mouse primary hepatocytes.” Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Nov 18.
