Content variations of the tomato saponin esculeoside A in various processed tomatoes.

A tomato saponin, esculeoside A, may be metabolized into various steroidal hormones such as pregnane derivatives that are expected to exhibit various bioactivities in the body, such as anti-osteoporosis, anti-menopausal disorder and anti-tumor actions. Therefore, we attempted to examine the esculeoside A contents of fresh tomatoes, tomatoes boiled in water, tomatoes heated using a microwave oven, freeze-dried tomatoes, and commercially available processed tomato products contained in plastic bottles and cans, in order to develop a health food.