Bioactive compounds of tomato fruits from transgenic plants tolerant to drought

- Drought tolerant ZT tomato fruits were smaller in size than their NT counterparts.
- Tomatoes from ZT lines had more sugar than those from NT-plants.
- More lycopene, β-carotene, phenolics and flavanoids were present in ZT tomatoes lines.
- Fruits from ZT-lines had unaltered vitamin C levels than those from NT plants.
- ZT fruits show selectively improved antioxidant level and seem safe for consumption.

Advances in agricultural biotechnology bring forth the need for experimental evidence for benefits and risks of engineered crops and the quality of fruit products obtained from them. Tomato fruits from non-transgenic (NT) and BcZAT12-transformed tomato lines ZT1-ZT6 (cv. H-86, var. Kashi vishesh) tolerant to drought, were assessed for nutritional quality, changes in physico-chemical characteristics and health-related bioactive compounds. Fruits from transgenics were evaluated for size, pH, total-soluble solids, total sugars, phenolics, flavonoids, vitamin C, lycopene and β-carotene. An early ripening of tomatoes from transgenics with more red but smaller fruits, high sugar levels, elevated phenolics, flavonoids, lycopene and β-carotene with an unaltered vitamin C levels as compared to tomatoes from non-transgenics were noted. Results suggest that although differences between tomatoes from transgenics and non-transgenics do exist, yet tomato fruits from transgenic plants have relatively improved antioxidant capacity than those from non-transgenics and therefore may be products safe for consumption.