Tomatoes are one of the most nutritionally and economically important crops in New Zealand and around the world. Tomatoes require large amounts of water to grow well and are adversely affected by drought stress. However, few studies have evaluated the physicochemical characteristics of commercial tomatoes grown under water stress conditions. Four tomato cultivars (Incas, Marmande, Scoresby Dwarf, and Window Box Red) were grown in a greenhouse under well-watered and drought stress conditions and the tomatoes were harvested when ripe. The physicochemical properties and antioxidant contents of the fruits were compared. There were significant differences between cultivars in quality characteristics—such as dry matter, total soluble solids, and pH parameters—but there were no differences in the quality characteristics between the two treatments of the fruits (p > 0.05); however, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the antioxidant compositions (lycopene, total phenolics, and flavonoids) and antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS) of the fruits of both cultivars and treatments. Overall, these results indicated that tomatoes increased their bioactive compounds without changing any quality characteristics when exposed to water stress conditions.

Nigella sativa L. is an annual herb of the Ranunculaceae family, with the seeds called black cumin seed or black seed containing 34–39% oil. Its oil has many uses in traditional medicine and food industry. Black seed oil is a significant source of essential fatty acids, tocopherols (91–246 ppm), phytosterols (1993−2182 ppm), polyphenols (245–309 ppm), essential oils and other bioactive compounds. Thymoquinone is one of the important active compounds in the essential oil part of black seed oil with many health beneficial properties. Black seed oil is getting much attention either used alone or in combination with other vegetable oils. Therefore, providing information about the black seeds originating in different parts of the world, their oil composition and the effect of different oil extraction methods can be of great value. Environmental condition, cultivated areas, maturity period and storage conditions have significant effects on its properties. Black seed oil deserves more attention as a potential multi-purpose product. This article reviews the physicochemical properties, quality, and medicinal and nutritional aspects of black seed oil.