Lycopene antioxidant properties

Fruifs and vegetables also contain ofher bioactive substances such as polyphenols (including well-known pigments anthocyanins, flavonols) and non-provitamin A carotenoids (mainly lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) that may have protective effects on chronic diseases. Polyphenols and carotenoids are known to display antioxidant activities, counteracting oxidative alterations in cells. Besides these antioxidant properties, these colored bioactive substances may exert other actions on cell signaling and gene expression. 

Rao, A.V. and Agarwal, S., Bioavailability and in vivo antioxidant properties of lycopene from tomato products and their possible role in the prevention of cancer, Nutr. Cancer, 3, 199, 1998. 

The antioxidant system in humans is a complex network composed by several enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. In addition to being an antioxidant, lycopene also exerts indirect antioxidant properties by inducing the production of cellular enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and quinone reductase that also protect cells from reactive oxygen species and other electrophilic molecules (Goo and others 2007). 

Since lycopene lacks the (3-ionic ring structure, unlike (3-carotene, it lacks provitamin A activity. The biological activity of lycopene is thought to be primarily due to its antioxidant properties. However, other mechanisms, such as facilitating gap junction communication (GJC) (Aust et al, 2003 Heber, 2002 Wertz et al, 2004 Zhang et al, 1991, 1992), stimulation of the immune system (Chew and Park, 2004 Heber, 2002 Heber and Lu, 2002 Kim et al, 2004 Wertz et al, 2004), endocrine-mediated pathways... 

Source Lycopene content of tomato products Its stability, bioavailability and in vivo antioxidant properties. Reprinted from Journal of Medicinal Food. 2001 4, pp. 9-15 by permission of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Publishers. 

Antioxidant properties of lycopene isomers as indicated by their ionization potential... 

FIG. 3 Stability and antioxidant properties of lycopene isomers (Chasse et al.9 2001). 

The role of lycopene in bone health to date is based on its potent antioxidant properties, the well-known role of oxidative stress in bone health, and the limited reported studies on the effects of lycopene in bone cells in culture. Therefore, in order to understand the role that lycopene can play in bone health, we have included a review of the reported studies on the role of oxidative stress in bone health and bone cells. 

Jain, C.K., Agarwal, S., and Rao, A.V. 1999. The effect of dietary lycopene on bioavailability, tissue distribution, in-vivo antioxidant properties and colonic preneoplasia in rats. Nutr. Res. 19, 1383-1391. 

Besides the engineering of S. cerevisiae for organic acid production, through metabolic engineering it is possible to reconstruct entire pathways. In 1994, Yamano et al. [163] reported the reconstruction of a complete secondary metabolic pathway in S. cerevisiae, resulting in the ability of the yeast to produce p-carotene and lycopene. Carotenoids are a class of pigments used in the food industry and, due to their antioxidant properties, they have wide commercial interest. The biosynthesis of these compounds does naturally not occur in S. cerevisiae and to allow... 

With its acyclic structure, large array of conjugated double bonds and important hydrophobicity, lycopene exhibits a range of unique and distinct biological properties. Of these properties, its antioxidant properties continue to arouse substantial interest. The system of conjugated double bonds allows lycopene molecules to... 

Interactions between lycopene and oxygen radicals can be considered second-order rate reactions. Lycopene is less efficient, and electron transfer is observed in both directions (Conn et al., 1992). The potential reduction of the antioxidant property of lycopene is related to the formation of the superoxide radical anion, CV (Palozza, 1998). 

Carotenoida group of yellow, orange, and red pigments found in plant and animal tissues. Some carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, have antioxidant properties. 

Lycopene oxidation products have been extensively studied by Khachik and coworkers [1, 30-33] two oxidative metabolites, 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diols A and B, present in tomatoes at very low concentrations were identified in human serum, breast milk, and organs (prostate, lung, liver, colon, breast). Recently it has been suggested that the presence of these products may result from the in vivo antioxidation properties of lycopene, and they have been proposed as potential markers of oxidative stress [34]. 

Diminution of cell-cell interaction via gap junctions is associated with the neoplastic phenotype, and lycopene is known to enhance gap-junctional communication in a manner unrelated to its antioxidant properties. Lycopene simultaneously inhibits tumor cell proliferation and stimulates gap-junctional intercellular communication via up-regulation of coimexin 43 expression, where lycopene, more potently than p-carotene, stimulated cell-to-cell communication in a concentrationdependent manner. ... 

The anti-cancer characteristics of lycopene are attributed to its antioxidant properties. It slows or prevents highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules from oxidizing cell components and causing the cells to malfunction. Research results indicate that tomatoes in the diet—especially cooked tomatoes, which contain concentrated amounts of lycopene— reduce the incidence of prostate cancer. In a study conducted at Harvard University, the incidence of prostate cancer was one-third lower in men who ate a lycopene-rich diet compared to a group who ate a low-lycopene diet. 

Free radicals, resulting from certain body functions and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, compromise cell integrity and cause greater susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Antioxidant properties in vitamins E and C and carotenoids (lutein, lycopene, and beta-carotene) neutralize free radicals and protect the cells. 

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