tomato

tomato

(Lu Chuan Ben Cao)

[synonyms] tomato, plums (flora of Guangzhou) and Kumquat (materia medica of Luchuan).

[source] fresh fruit of Solanaceae tomato.

[plant morphology] tomato

Annual or perennial herbs, 1-2 m high, all fluffy. The stem is erect, but prone to lodging, and rooting when touching the ground. The leaves are 10-40 cm long; the leaflets are very irregular in size, ovate to oblong, 5-7 cm long, apex acuminate, margin with irregular teeth or division, base askew and petiole. 3-7 flowers in lateral cymes, about 2 cm in diameter and 1-1.5 cm in length, slightly drooping when in full bloom; calyx 5-6-lobed, lobes linear lanceolate to linear; corolla yellow, lobes 5-6; stamens 5-6, inserted in tube, filaments short, anthers semi aggregated, or a cone around pistil; ovary 2-locular to many locular, stigma capitate. Berries vary in shape, size and color, usually spherical or oblate, succulent, red or yellow, smooth. The flowering period is from May to September.

It is cultivated in most areas of China.

[chemical constituents] malic acid, citric acid, adenine, trigonelline, choline and a small amount of lycopene were isolated. Tomatoes on the market contain 0.4g ash, 8mg calcium, 37mg phosphorus, 0.4mg iron, 0.31mg carotene and vitamin B1 per 100g_ 03 mg, B2_ 02 mg, nicotinic acid 0. 6 mg, C_ 11 mg.

[pharmacological action] tomato is rich in vitamin A and C, and its acidity is caused by citric acid and malic acid. Oral administration of tomato pectin can reduce the amount of cholesterol in serum and liver of rats fed with cholesterol. Tomato juice can make cat blood pressure drop and smooth muscle excited.

Lycopene has antifungal effect. It can inhibit some fungi that have pathogenicity to plants or people, but it has poor effect on bacteria. The antibacterial mechanism may be the formation of some sterol complex in the cell membrane of fungi. Its aglycone (ketamine) is very poor. Lycopene, originally proposed from tomato, is mixed with rutin, especially its aglycone quercetin; quercetin can antagonize the antibacterial effect of lycopene, so the antifungal effect of lycopene is not strong. Lycopene has obvious anti-inflammatory effect in animal experiments. Intramuscular injection of 1-10 mg / kg or oral administration of 15-80 mg / kg can significantly reduce the ankle edema induced by carrageenan, especially after adrenalectomy. Subcutaneous injection of 5-10 mg / kg for 7 days inhibited the formation of granulation tissue. Subcutaneous injection of 10 mg / kg can reduce capillary permeability in mice. Its aglycone has no anti-inflammatory effect. Although its chemical structure is similar to that of sterols, its anti-inflammatory effect is similar to that of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in many aspects. The mechanism of its anti-inflammatory effect may be related to its anti mediators. In isolated guinea pig ileum, lycopene could antagonize the contractile responses induced by histamine, acetylcholine, bradykinin and barium chloride, but could not prevent the effect of oxytocin on uterus. In the overall trial (3~20 mg / kg intraperitoneal injection), lycopene significantly decreased the capillary permeability induced by histamine, and partly antagonized histamine spray, but it had no effect on allergic shock (guinea pig egg whites sensitization). It has been reported that another substance (gomatine, which may be isomer with tomatinie) with similar chemical properties is often mixed in lycopene, and its antihistamine effect is far stronger. Lycopene had a reversible inhibitory effect on pseudocholinesterase, but had little effect on real cholinesterase. The toxicity of lycopene was very small, and no toxic reaction was found in a large dose and a long time after oral administration, which may be due to the low absorption. Subcutaneous injection can cause local necrosis. Its ointment (for treatment of mycosis) is not irritating to the skin, but may be irritating to the mucous membrane. Intravenous injection of the drug into rats or rabbits can cause a sudden and transient decrease in blood pressure, but has no effect on heart rate. Hemolysis can be induced in vivo and in vitro.

[nature and taste] Lu Chuan Ben Cao: "sweet and sour, slightly cold. "

Functions and indications: Lu Chuan materia medica: "produce body fluid to quench thirst, strengthen stomach and eliminate food. Cure thirst, loss of appetite. "

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoction or raw food.