Powerful Cancer fighting Antioxidant Anthocyanins in this new seasons tomato.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a tomato high in the antioxidant that gives blueberries their color giving these tomatoes a dark plum-like hue.
Indigo Rose, a truly purple tomato, from OSU’s program to breed for high levels of antioxidants. (Photo by Tiffany Woods.)
“The “Indigo Rose” tomato steps out this year as the first “really” purple variety to come from a program at Oregon State University that is seeking to breed tomatoes with high levels of antioxidants, says the folks at Oregon State University.
Professor Jim Myers, in the OSU horticulture department says, “If you want a really, really purple tomato that can be as black as an eggplant, give Indigo Rose a try. Other so-called purple and black tomatoes have the green flesh gene, which prevents normal chlorophyll breakdown. A brown pigment called pheophytin accumulates and has a brownish color that makes a muddy purple when combined with carotenoids.”
Anthocyanins are in the class of flavonoids – compounds found in fruits, vegetables and beverages – that have aroused interest because of their potential health benefits.
Anthocyanins are glycosides of anthocyanidins, the basic chemical structure of which is shown here. Hope this helps.
Anthocyanins (from Greek: ἀνθός (anthos) = flower + κυανός (kyanos) = blue) are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red, purple, or blue depending on the pH. They belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway; they are odorless and nearly flavorless, contributing to taste as a moderately astringent sensation. Anthocyanins occur in all tissues of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Anthoxanthinsare clear, white to yellow counterparts of anthocyanins occurring in plants. Anthocyanins are derived from anthocyanidins by adding sugars. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanin)