They were developed in the University of Oregon, U.S, WITHIN THE PROJECT “INDIGO ROSE”.

UK black tomatoes are being grown for the first time and could have the potential to prevent cancer. This fruit is the first in the world to contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant that may help fight cancer, diabetes and obesity.

ray Brown, director de Plant World Seeds, he met this new fruit when a client sent a mysterious package that was written “black tomatoes”. Intrigued by the enigmatic label, He planted the seeds and was surprised to see that grew black tomatoes.

Brown, de Newton Abbot, Devon, explains: “A customer sent us some seeds “black tomato” last winter and could not believe that they were real, so we plant them in the spring to check. We are always looking for something original. No one has ever produced black tomatoes; the closest they have come are browns and oranges. They are totally novel; As far as I know, They had never been grown here before”.

These tomatoes were developed at Oregon State University, in the U.S, as part of the project “Indigo Rose”. They reach maturity when they move from a bright purplish blue to almost black color jet, with the base starting to catch red. The jet black of this tomato is because the pigments that develop in the skin to sunlight when exposed.

“They are edible, We have eaten many, They have a very nice exquisite flavor and aroma. The only way to describe it is like a tomato taste good and strong. This fruit is also unique because it has not been used genetic engineering to create it”, Brown added, who does not plan to sell these tomatoes for now.

Indigo Rose

The Indigo Rose project began in the early 1960, when two farmers, one Bulgarian and one of the United States- They conducted a conventional tomatoes crossing with wild species of Chile and the Galapagos Islands. Some species of wild tomato contain anthocyanins in the fruit and, until now, tomatoes grown in home gardens have had the beneficial only pigment in their leaves and stems, which they are edible.

Professor of the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University, Jim Myers, He explains that the new variety is a novelty destined to kitchen gardens and fresh market, which it is now available in seed catalogs.

This is the first tomato variety in the world that contains anthocyanins in the fruits. The project objective was to improve the antioxidant potential of the purple anthocyanins in the fruit, Myers said.

“If you want a tomato very, very purple that can be as black as an eggplant, Indigo Rose tomatoes are the answer”, indicates Myers. Other tomatoes called purple and black have the green gene meat, which prevents the normal breakdown of chlorophyll. A brown pigment called pheophytin accumulates and has a brown color that makes it a purple clay when combined with carotenoids.

Anthocyanins are found in the class of flavonoids found in fruits -compounds, vegetables and beverages- which they have attracted interest for their potential health benefits. They seem to have many varied effects on human health, but also are powerful antioxidants in test tube, We not really know if they have an antioxidant effect on the human body, adds Jim Myers.

Graduate students working with Myers crossed lines carrying genes of wild species of tomato to create the population that was selected 'Indigo Rose'.

The new variety Indigo Rose allows its cultivation throughout the season in Oregon, with average maturity date 91 days after transplantation, which it is usually an average of ten days later in commercial varieties grown in the area.

The new tomato is released as an open-pollinated variety, and as such, self fertilized seeds, own self-pollinated plants and can not produce hybrids. In self-pollinating plant the seed of each plant occurs as a result of selfing, the ovocélulas are fertilized by pollen from the plant itself.”It is also important to know that genetic engineering techniques never used to develop these lines. These tomatoes are nontransgenic, adds Myers.

People're mad about these tomatoes. The purple color attracts interest because it is extraordinary and expect awesome flavor. The Indigo Rose has a good balance of sugars and acids and flavors, like a normal tomato. Anthocyanins are insipid, stresses Myers.

Indigo Rose can not be collected early, it must fully ripen on the plant for the complete development of sugars and acids. Tomatoes will be purple where exposed to light and tend to have a purple crown. They are ripe when they change color, a bright blue-purple purple-brown color to a dull. The fruit also softens similarly to normal tomatoes, and the bottom of the tomatoes will turn from green to red when ripe.

Anthocyanin only occurs in the fruit to sunlight when exposed. If the shadow of a leaf affects the fruit or it is in the base of the plant, the purple pigment does not develop. “However, if you have to choose an Indigo Rose and expose the area of ​​non-purple to sunlight, They turn purple in a week”, clarifies Myers.

While other fruits, like blueberries, They have a higher concentration of anthocyanins, tomatoes are consumed almost every day in the United States, explains Myers. Tomato ranks fourth in the ranking of most fresh vegetables consumed in the United States, potatoes behind, lettuce and onions, according to the USDA.

The project's team is already working Jim Myers is focused on obtaining cherry tomatoes with the same characteristics of Indigo Rose and achieve the same levels of anthocyanin.

Numerous American companies seeds include in its catalogs the Indigo Rose.