Lycopene: Is it Beneficial to Human Health as an Antioxidant? (2025)

Role of lycopene as antioxidant carotenoid in the prevention of chronic diseases: A review

Nutrition Research, 1999

Lycopene is a naturally present carotenoid in tomatoes. Among the carotenoids, lycopene is a major component found in the serum. High levels of lycopene have also been found in the testes, adrenal glands, prostate. Several recent studies including cell culture, animal and epidemiological investigations have indicated the effect of dietary lycopene in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease. Although, the antioxidant properties of lycopene are thought to be primarily responsible for its beneficial properties, evidence is accumulating to suggest other mechanisms such as intercellular gap junction communication, hormonal and immune system modulation and metabolic pathways may also be involved. This review summarizes the background information about lycopene and presents the most current knowledge with respect to its role in human health. 0 I999 ?3cviu Science Inc.

Lycopene as a Natural Antioxidant Used to Prevent Human Health Disorders

Antioxidants

Lycopene, belonging to the carotenoids, is a tetraterpene compound abundantly found in tomato and tomato-based products. It is fundamentally recognized as a potent antioxidant and a non-pro-vitamin A carotenoid. Lycopene has been found to be efficient in ameliorating cancer insurgences, diabetes mellitus, cardiac complications, oxidative stress-mediated malfunctions, inflammatory events, skin and bone diseases, hepatic, neural and reproductive disorders. This review summarizes information regarding its sources and uses amongst different societies, its biochemistry aspects, and the potential utilization of lycopene and possible mechanisms involved in alleviating the abovementioned disorders. Furthermore, future directions with the possible use of this nutraceutical against lifestyle-related disorders are emphasized. Its protective effects against recommended doses of toxic agents and toxicity and safety are also discussed.

Lycopene and human health-A review

Agricultural Reviews, 2017

Functional and nutraceutical foods have shared the disease load of huge population. This has led to the consumption of plant-based phytonutrients act as preventives agents when taken as dietary supplements. Their health promoting potentials are due to presence of functional ingredients. The antioxidant properties of lycopene are thought to be primarily responsible for its beneficial properties. Lycopene bioavailability, tissue distribution, metabolism, excretion, and biological actions in humans are beginning to accumulate although much additional research is necessary. Lycopene is an important carotenoids.These are found to be very beneficial for maintaining a good health and helps in preventing cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases.

The Chemistry and Biology of Lycopene : Antioxidant for Human Health

International Journal of Advancement in Life Sciences Research

More than 600 carotenoids are known to be naturally occurring. These predominantly colourful molecules, found in plants, fungi and bacteria undergoing photosynthesis, are widespread in vegetables and fruits. Carotenoids are divided into two main groups. Of them, the highly unsaturated hydrocarbons consisting of lycopene, α-, β-, and γ-carotene build the first group, whereas xanthophylls, such as β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin are considered as the second big carotenoid group. Lycopene, a representative of the hydrocarbon carotenoids with the molecular formula of C 40 H 56 , has an acyclic open-chain structure consisting of 13 double-bonds. Two of them are non-conjugated, whereas eleven are conjugated double bonds, thereby building a chromatophore. This distinctive conjugated polyene structure accounts for the ruby colour and the antioxidant properties of lycopene. It has a distinct lipophilic character, which makes it nearly insoluble in ethanol, methanol and water. Due to its acyclic structure and the absence of a β-ionone ring, there is no pro-vitamin A activity to be found in lycopene, which is the reason for its differing biochemistry, as compared to α-and βcarotene. Due to its polyene-structure, providing an electron-rich system, lycopene is an eligible target for electrophilic reagents. Thus, it shows an extreme reactivity towards oxygen and free radicals. Lycopene is known to be the most potent oxygen quenching reagent among carotenoids, and furthermore, it provides the ability to intervene in reactions initiated by free radicals, like OH −• or peroxy radicals. Its excellent anti-oxidant properties are most likely the basis for its preventive role towards cancer and other chronic diseases. However, the lycopene concentration in fresh fruits and vegetables shows a great variability, depending on seasonal environmental conditions, geographic location, climatic situation, species and maturity which may be taken as indices for the best sowing season, place, species/varieties to be planted and date/time of harvest. The vegetables and fruits thus obtained would be rich in lycopene content, which in turn would have a major beneficial impact on human health.

Antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties of lycopene

Free Radical Research, 2011

spectrum of health benefi cial properties, ranging from hypocholesterolemic and cardioprotective effects [10] to anti-infl ammatory and anti-mutagenic activity and a remarkable anti-cancer potential [11-14]. Beside this, a high lycopene serum level might be linked to a lower risk for age-related macular degeneration [15]. Data from epidemiological and clinical studies have revealed a correlation between a high consumption of tomato products and a reduced cancer risk [16-18]. Accordingly, Stahl and Sies [19] cited in their review several studies that clearly revealed an inverse correlation between lycopene serum levels and cancer risk, namely bladder and pancreatic cancer as well as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [20-22]. Lycopene particularly exhibits strong anti-cancer activity against prostate cancer, even against the advanced and aggressive forms [17]. This might be explained by the fact that the highest tissue level of lycopene could be found in the testes, followed by adrenals and liver [19]. Among carotenoids, lycopene is of special interest, as it is the

Lycopene: A Natural Arsenal in the War against Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Diseases

Antioxidants

Lycopene is a bioactive red pigment found in plants, especially in red fruits and vegetables, including tomato, pink guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, and watermelon. Several research reports have advocated its positive impact on human health and physiology. For humans, lycopene is an essential substance obtained from dietary sources to fulfil the body requirements. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing oxidative stress and downstream complications include one of the major health concerns worldwide. In recent years, oxidative stress and its counter strategies have attracted biomedical research in order to manage the emerging health issues. Lycopene has been reported to directly interact with ROS, which can help to prevent chronic diseases, including diabetes and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. In this context, the present review article was written to provide an accumulative account of protective and ameliorative effects of lycopene on coronary artery ...

Lycopene: Food Sources, Biological Activities, and Human Health Benefits

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity

As an antioxidant, lycopene has acquired importance as it prevents autoxidation of fats and related products. Tomatoes are an important agricultural product that is a great source of lycopene. It contains many vitamins and minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates and is associated with various positive effects on health. The antioxidant potential of tomatoes is substantially explained with lycopene compounds. Diet is a major risk factor for heart diseases which is shown as the most important cause of death in the world. It has been observed that the lycopene taken in the diet has positive effects in many stages of atherosclerosis. The serum lipid levels, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, blood pressure, and antioxidative potential are mainly affected by lycopene. These natural antioxidants, which can also enhance the nutritional value of foods, may lead to new ways if used in food preservation. In this review study, the antioxidant potential and cardiovascular protection mechanism of...

Therapeutic and medicinal uses of lycopene: a systematic review

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2020

Lycopene is a carotenoid present in fruits and vegetables. The richest sources of lycopene are tomatoes and tomato products. The beneficial effects of lycopene in human health and disease are mainly associated with its antioxidant properties. Lycopene is a carotenoid with strongest antioxidant property because of its capability of quenching the singlet oxygen. Eleven conjugated double bonds of lycopene give it a deep red color and are responsible for its antioxidant activity which is major functional feature of lycopene. Dietary intakes of tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene have been shown to be associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases in numerous studies. Although there are evidences from many epidemiological and cell culture and animal studies explaining the inverse relationship between lycopene and cancer or cardiovascular disease risk, more clinical trial data is needed to support this hypothesis. In this article...

Protective effect of lycopene in cardiovascular disease

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences

Coronary artery disease (CAD) represents the primary cause of death in Western Countries with an high incidence on human health and community social costs. Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the aetiology of this disease. In particular, the LDL-oxidization has a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular heart diseases through the initiation of plaque formation process. Dietary phytochemical products such antioxidant vitamins (A,C,E) and bioactive food components (alpha- and beta-carotene) have shown an antioxidant effect in reducing both oxidative markers stress and LDL-oxidization process. Scientifical evidences support the beneficial roles of phytochemicals in the prevention of some chronic diseases. Lycopene, an oxygenated carotenoid with great antioxidant properties, has shown both in epidemiological studies and supplementation human trials a reduction of cardiovascular risk. However, controlled clinical ...

A REVIEW ON BENEFICIAL ROLE OF LYCOPENE IN HUMAN BODY

Lycopene is one of the nutrient antioxidant. Apart from that it is having different beneficial roles in the human body. The present review is about the lycopene uses. It is a component of human redox defence mehcnisms against free radicals. As lycopene is having antioxidant property it is well known for its anticancer, cardiovascular diseases, idiopathic male infertility and neuropathy. The role of antioxidant such as lycopene as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Key words: Lycopene, Antioxidant, Carotenoids, Leukoplakia, Atherosclerosis, Infertility.