Research - Lycopene
Effect of lycopene against gastroesophageal reflux disease in experimental animals
Arvind Kumar Giri, Jitendra Kumar Rawat, Manjari Singh, Swetlana Gautam and Gaurav Kaithwas
Abstract
Background
Lycopene is a robust antioxidant with significant antiulcer activity. Henceforth, the present study was ventured to elucidate the effect of lycopene on experimental esophagitis.
Methods Groups of rats were subjected to forestomach and pylorus ligation with subsequent treatment with lycopene (50 and 100 mg/kg, po) and pantoprazole (30 mg/kg, po).
Results Treatment with lycopene evidenced sententious physiological protection when scrutinized for pH, acidity (total and free), volume of gastric juices and esophagitis index. Lycopene further embarked diminishing effect on oxidative stress through synchronising lipid and protein peroxidation along with regulating the enzymatic activity of SOD and catalase. Lycopene also modified the levels of immunoregulatory cytokines (IL- 1β and IL-6) favourably. The dose dependent efficacy of lycopene in the current experimental condition was also attested when exemplified morphologically through scanning electron microscopy.
Conclusion From the current line of evidences, it was concluded that lycopene can impart momentous protection against experimental esophagitis by wrapping up the reactive oxygen species and through dual inhibition of the arachidonic acid pathway.
Source : BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Link to Full Article
.
The Role of Phytonutrients in Skin Health
Julie A. Evans and Elizabeth J. Johnson*
Abstract
Photodamage is known to occur in skin with exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Such damage includes inflammation, oxidative stress, breakdown of the extracellular matrix, and development of cancer in the skin. Sun exposure is considered to be one of the most important risk factors for both nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers. Many phytonutrients have shown promise as photoprotectants in clinical, animal and cell culture studies. In part, the actions of these phytonutrients are thought to be through their actions as antioxidants. In regard to skin health, phytonutrients of interest include vitamin E, certain flavonoids, and the carotenoids, β-carotene, lycopene and lutein.
Source : Journal Nutrients
Link to Full Article
Study unlocks lycopene’s heart health benefits
Lycopene, the compound that gives tomatoes their red color, may benefit heart health by boosting the body’s natural antioxidant defenses and protecting against DNA damage, says a new study from South Korea.
A daily supplement of 15 milligrams for eight weeks was associated with increased activity of SOD (super oxide dismutase), a powerful antioxidant enzyme, as well as reductions in measures of DNA damage in white blood cells, according to results published in the journal Atherosclerosis.
Furthermore, the apparent benefits extended to a reduction in systolic blood pressure and a decrease in levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). CRP is a marker of inflammation and is reported to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular-related events.
“These results add to the growing literature on potential protective effects of the antioxidant lycopene in atherosclerosis through an anti-inflammatory effect and preserving endothelial function,” wrote the researchers, led by Jong Ho Lee from Yonsei University in South Korea.
Growing science and market for lycopene
Lycopene is an antioxidant that is present in red- and pink-colored fruits and vegetables. It has been shown to have heart, blood pressure, prostate, osteoporosis, skin and other benefits in both natural and synthetic forms.
As well as being used as a food coloring, it has also used for its functional properties in food supplements and some food and beverage products, particularly those targeting the ‘beauty-from-within’ market.
According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), globally there were over 500 global lycopene product launches between 2003 and 2009 in foods, supplements and cosmetics.
Study details
The South Korean researchers recruited 126 health men with an average age of 34 and an average BMI of 24 kg/m2, and randomly assigned them to receive a daily 6 or 15 milligram supplement of lycopene (Lyc-O-Mato, Lycored), or placebo for eight weeks.
At the end of the study the researchers reported that SOD activity increased by 2.37 units per milliliter in the high-dose group, compared with an increase of 1.73 units per milliliter in 6 mg group and a decrease in activity in the placebo group.
In addition, DNA damage was reduced in the high dose group, compared with the other groups. Endothelial function – the function of the cells lining blood vessels – was also improved significantly following the high dose group.
“Interestingly, the beneficial effects of lycopene supplementation on endothelial function were remarkable in subjects with relatively impaired endothelial cell function at initial level,” report the researchers.
CRP levels decreased by 57 percent in the high dose group, while no significant reductions were recorded in the other two groups, said the researchers.
“Subjects supplemented with 15-mg lycopene daily for 8-week also showed reduction in other cardiovascular risk factors, for example, an increase in LDL particle size,” report the researchers. “Since the lycopene capsule used in this study also contains beta-carotene (greater than 0.5 mg), the subjects in the 15-mg lycopene/day group had a 65 percent increase in lycopene concentration and a 20 percent increase in beta-carotene, which is a known effective antioxidant that inactivates free radicals, inversely correlates with CRP, and slows the progression of atherosclerosis.
“Therefore, a synergistic effect of lycopene and beta-carotene in the 15-mg lycopene/day group likely increased the beneficial effects on these atherosclerosis risk factors,” they added.
Source: Nutringredients from Atherosclerosis Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2010.11.036
“Effects of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress and markers of endothelial function in healthy men”
Authors: J.Y. Kim, J.K. Paik, O.Y. Kim, H.W. Park, J.H. Lee, Y. Jang, J.H. Lee
Link to Source