The Impact of Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Exposure on Magic Tomatoes' Nutrition-Health Properties.

The release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the atmosphere has accelerated during the last two decades. Elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration (eCO 2 ) is known as an agent that improves plant photosynthesis. However, eCO 2 was also correlated with alterations in the macronutrient and micronutrient compositions of various dietary crops. In order to explore the effect of eCO 2 on the nutritional and health properties of tomatoes, three parental lines of the Magic population, which includes a large part of the genetic diversity present in large fruit varieties, were used as models. The plants were grown in growth chambers under ambient (400 ppm) or eCO 2 (900 ppm) conditions. The macronutrient and micronutrient contents were measured. The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were assessed in vitro on activated macrophages. These analyses highlighted that the carbohydrate content was not affected by the eCO 2 , whereas the protein, carotenoid, lycopene, and mineral contents decreased. Regarding the anti-oxidant properties, no influence of eCO 2 exposure was observed. Similarly, the anti-inflammatory properties were not affected by the eCO 2 . These data are in contrast with previous studies conducted on different plant species or accessions, indicating that the effect of eCO 2 on crops' nutrition and health properties is based on complex mechanisms in which growth conditions and genetic backgrounds play a central role.