Aim: 

The effect on potential transepitelial electrics resistance (TEER) and the histological analysis of CaCo-2 (cell line) could be usefull methods in order to observe the different antioxidant or prooxidant capacity values of different concentrations of the Hydrolozed Tomato Poliphenolics Extract (HTPE) at different incubation time.

Methods: 

The various concentrations of HTPE have been tested on culture in monolayer CaCo-2 cells seeded on polycarbonate filter cell culture chamber inserts (diameter 6.5 mm; area 0.33 cm²; pore diameter 0.4 mm), at a density of 1.5 × 10⁵ cells per filter and placed in a multiwells Falcon; the filter divided the chamber in apical and basal compartments that represent the lumen and the basal area of the gut tract.

Results: 

With HTPE concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8, mM it is possible to observe that by both methods (TEER and histological analysis) there are not any differences in TEER values and morphological alterations and the HTPE shows an antioxidant activity. In the cells incubated with 10 mM and 17 mM of HTPE it is possible to observe a decrease TEER value, this means an evident change of the permeability owed and cellular damage. This is confirmed by histological analysis, which is report a remarkable damage cells due to prooxidant activity of HTPE.

Conclusion: 

From our results it is possible to observe the influence of poliphenolics tomato extract concentration. In fact, the low concentrations (2, 4, 6 and 8 mM) show an antioxidant behaviour. Instead, increasing the concentrations (10 mM and 17 mM) the HTPE shows a prooxidant behaviour.

Acknowledgments: 

This research was supported by MIUR-FISR-Simbio-Veg project (2005–2008)