Lycopene, also known as ψ-carotene, belongs to isoprene compounds and is a kind of carotenoid. Since it was first isolated from tomato, it is called "lycopene". Its antioxidant capacity is 3.2 times that of carotene and 100 times that of vitamin E. The human body cannot manufacture it, so it needs to be taken from the diet. Eating a raw tomato can only absorb 0.05 mg of it ;this is equivalent to eating 15 raw tomatoes.
For a long time, it has not attracted much attention as a common plant pigment. Therefore, there is very little research on this. However, recent studies have found that singlet oxygen and oxygen free radicals in the human body are the main culprits against the body's immune system. that is far more effective in scavenging free radicals than other carotenoids and vitamin E, and its rate constant for quenching singlet oxygen is 100 times that of vitamin E. It can effectively prevent various diseases caused by aging and weakened immunity. Therefore, it has attracted the attention of experts from all over the world.
Because of its superior physiological functions, it is of great significance for preventing cardiovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis and other adult diseases, enhancing the human immune system and delaying aging, so it is a promising new functional natural pigment .
On the one hand, it is because of its antioxidant effect; on the other hand, which can block the gene mutation process of tissue cells under the action of external mutagens, which is one of the important mechanisms of tumorigenesis.
Experiments have found that it can affect the S phase of breast, lung and uterine cancer cells; it affects cell growth by inhibiting the Gl to S transition stage of the cell cycle; it can inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. It can effectively inhibit the production of carcinogens and induce tumors by the formation of heterocyclic amines produced in the browning reaction of grilled meat and fish. Studies have shown that lycopene has a certain inhibitory effect on digestive tract cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, etc.
