Volume 90, Issue 6, December (2003), pp. 1031-1038 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003994

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Tomatoes have natural anti-thrombotic effects

J. Yamamoto¹, T. Taka¹, K. Yamada¹, Y. Ijiri¹, M. Murakami¹, Y. Hirata¹, A. Naemura¹, M. Hashimoto¹, T. Yamashita¹, K. Oiwa², J. Seki³, H. Suganuma⁴, T. Inakuma⁴, T. Yoshida^5
1Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Nutrition and High Technology Research Centre, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe, Japan
²Communications Research Laboratory, Kansai Advanced Research Centre, Kobe, Japan
³Biomedical Engineering, National Cardiovascular Centre, Osaka, Japan
⁴Research Institute, Kagome Co. Ltd., Tochigi, Japan
⁵National Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science, National Agricultural Research Organization, Mie, Japan

 (Received 1 April 2003–Revised 31 July 2003–Accepted 7 August 2003)

The prevention of arterial thrombotic diseases has a high priority in developed countries. An inappropriate diet may be an important risk factor for thrombotic events. The daily intake of an anti-thrombotic diet may offer a convenient and effective way of prevention. The aim of the present study was to test tomato extracts for anti-thrombotic effects and to identify those varieties that have such an effect. A shear-induced platelet-function test (haemostatometry) was used to test anti-thrombotic potential in vitro. Extracts from those tomato varieties that showed a significant anti-thrombotic activity in vitro were further assessed in vivo, using a laser-induced thrombosis test in mice. One tomato variety (KG99-4) showed significant anti-thrombotic activity both in vitro and in vivo. KG99-4 inhibited not only platelet-rich thrombus formation but also had a thrombolytic effect. It is concluded that haemostatometry can detect and classify the anti-thrombotic potential of fruits and vegetables and offers a simple way of screening for such effects.

Keywords:
Tomatoes, Platelet aggregation, Thrombosis, Cardiovascular disease

Abbreviations:
CT1, coagulation time 1, CT2, coagulation time 2, H1, area of the pressure-recording curve showing 30 % pressure recovery, H2, area of the pressure-recording curve showing 90 % pressure recovery