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Potentially included will be two days at Hortifair (NTV) at the RAI in Amsterdam. This Expo is the world’s largest in the protected cropping industry and showcases the latest (existing, new and emerging) technologies. The area is so large that one day is required to have an overview of what is available, and the second day is to target the products of most interest.
It is anticipated that this tour will be limited to around 8-16 participants (due to logistical reasons), therefore your early expression of interest is encouraged to ensure your place in this much anticipated tour.
At this time, the AHGA is looking for expressions of interest from all growers as to the most suitable dates to travel, as growers sometimes find it hard to leave their properties in the latter part of the year, therefore we propose to offer two itineraries and will select the tour with most interest.
The nominated dates are: 1. Last two weeks of July 2007 (these dates mean that Hortifair would be missed and it is proposed to offset this with a weekend touring Paris); 2. First two weeks of October 2007 (to include Hortifair). Any growers interested in joining one of these tours, please indicate by return email your preferred option (i.e. Option 1 or 2), and Graeme Smith President – Australian Hydroponic & Greenhouse Association – will place you on the interested list for further updates (including full itinerary and pricing). Graeme has indicated that it’s open for NZ growers as well (Vegetable & Flower growers).
Graeme’s contact details are: PO Box 789, Woodene 3442, Victoria, Australia. Ph: +613 5427 2143; Fax: +613 5427 3843; Mobile: 0427 339 009. Email: president@ahga.org.au. Web: www.ahga.org.au.
TANGERINE TOMATOES: A BETTER SOURCE OF LYCOPENE?
The lycopene content of orange tomatoes is more bioavailable than the form of lycopene found in the red variety, says new research from the US.
Writing in the journal of Agricultural and Food Science, researchers from Ohio State University report that red tomatoes typically contain about 95 per cent of their lycopene as the all-trans-isomer, reported to be the most stable form. In tangerine tomatoes, on the other hand, the lycopene is present as tetra-cis-lycopene, a geometric isomer of all-trans-lycopene.
Geometric isomers refer to two or more substances that have the same chemical make-up but the arrangement of the constituent elements is different, giving the substances different properties.
According to the new research, led by Steven Schwartz, the tetra-cis-lycopene for is more bioavailable to humans and could offer a more interesting source of the nutrient.
The researchers prepared tomato sauce from the tangerine tomatoes with corn oil to improve palatability and improve absorption of the lycopene – lycopene is a lipophillic compound, which means its absorption is enhanced in the prescence of lipids (fats and oils).
The sauces (giving 13 mg of lycopene) were incorporated into a spaghetti meal and fed to 12 healthy volunteers (six women, average age 29.5), and the researchers then measured intestinal absorption of lycopene for almost ten hours after the meal.
Schwartz and his colleagues report that, comparing lycopene ababsorption from the tangerine variety and a high-beta-carotine variety with lycopene existing predominantly in the all-trans-form, absorption of the cis-form was 2.5 times higher.
The reason why the tangerine tomatoes predominantly contain the tetra-cis-lycopene, said the researchers, is because they lack a specific enzyme that converts the cis-isomer to the more stable trans form.
The research is in keeping with a trend looking at different varieties of the fruit, with this website reporting recently on research into purple tomatoes. The purple pigmentation is due to the presence of compounds called anthocyanins, and are the source of the blue, purple and red colour of berries, grapes and some other fruits and vegetables. These pigments also function as antioxidants, believed to protect the human body from oxidative damage that may lead to heart disease, cancer and ageing.
AND BETTER WHEN MIXED WITH BROCCOLI
Tomatoes and broccoli, independently known for their anti-cancer benefits, may have an extra effect against prostate cancer when both are part of the daily diet than when they’re eaten alone, if results from an animal study can be replicated in humans.
“When tomatoes and broccoli are eaten together, we see an additive effect. We think it’s because different bioactive compounds in each food work on different anti-cancer pathways,” said lead researcher, John Erdman from the University of Illinois.
Writing in the January 15 issue of Cancer Research, Erdman and his co-workers report that lab rats with implanted prostate cancer cells fed a diet containing 10 per cent tomato powder and 10 per cent broccoli powder, the cancers had shrunk significantly more than the cancers in rats fed a control diet or a diet only broccoli or only tomato powder, or supplemented with lycopene.
The researchers implanted Dunning R9927-H prostate tumours into 206 male Copenhagen rats and then assigned them to one of six dietary groups: 10 per cent broccoli powder plus 10 per cent tomato powder (10:10 combination); 5 per cent broccoli powder plus 5 per cent tomato powder (5:5 combination); only 10 per cent broccoli; only 10 per cent tomato; or lycopene supplementation (23 or 224 nanomoles per gram of diet – DSM lycopene beadlets).
After 22 weeks of feeding on the diets, the researchers reported that the lycopene supplements were associated with a seven and 18 per cent reduction in prostate size for the 23 or 224 nmol/g doses, respectively, while tomato only and broccoli only were associated with 34 and 42 per cent, respectively.
“The 10:10 combination of broccoli was more effective at slowing tumour growth than either tomato or broccoli alone and supports the public health reccomendations to increase the intake of a variety of plant components,” wrote the researchers.
The mechanism behind the apparent benefits, they said, is that the phytochemicals present in the vegetables, like lycopene in tomatoes and glucosinolates in broccoli, could induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the cancer cells.
Further studies are needed to verify these findings, with a particular need for human studies: “These findings provide support for future human prevention trials based on dietary interventions,”they said.
The researchers suggested that, based on the current results, a 55-year-old man concerned about prostate health could benefit by increasing their intake of the vegetables.
“To get these effects, men should consume daily 1.4 cups of raw broccoli and 2.5 cups of fresh tomato, or 1 cup of tomato sauce, or half a cup of tomato paste. I think it’s very doable for a man to eat a cup and a half of broccoli per day or put broccoli on a pizza with half a cup of tomato paste,” said lead author Kristie Canene-Adams in a release.
Prof. Erdman said the study showed that eating whole foods is better than consuming their components: “It’s better to eat tomatoes than to take a lycopene supplement. And cooked tomatoes may be better than raw tomatoes. Chopping and heating make the cancer-fighting constituents of tomatoes and broccoli more bioavailable.”
“When tomatoes are cooked, for example, the water is removed and the healthful parts become more concentrated. That doesn’t mean you should stay away from fresh produce. The lesson here, I think, is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables prepared in a variety of ways,” added Canene-Adams.
Commenting independently on the research, Dr Julie Sharp, cancer information manager at British charity, Cancer Research UK, said: “While this work supports previous suggestions that both broccoli and tomatoes may contain chemicals with anticancer properties, their effects in humans are still unclear. This research has been done in the laboratory but studies of these vegetables in large numbers have produced conflicting results.
“However we do know that a healthy balanced diet can help to reduce the risk of cancer and should include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. Eating tomatoes and broccoli could help people get their five portions a day.”
Over half a million news cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year world wide, and the cancer is the direct cause of over 200,000 deaths. More worryingly, the incidence of the disease is increasing with a rise of 1.7 per cent over 15 years.
TOMATO EXPORTS FOR 2006
The final figures for the calendar year 2006 were: 4,167,730 kgs with an FOB value of NZ$10.27 million. This is an increase of 6.4% in volume and 10% in value over 2005.
Australia remains the dominant market with a total volume of 3,545,041 kgs. The remaining 600,000+ kgs are exported to a wide range of Pacific Island nations, Japan and other Asian countries.
TOMATO IMPORTS FOR 2006
As reported in the January issue, imports for 2006 were 3,797,647 kgs with a CIF value of $11.29 million. This volume is slightly down on the total imports for both 2005 and 2004.