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Lycopene

Carotenoids form a group of pigments which have a yellow or red color, are widespread in nature and confer the characteristic colors on many foodstuffs. Carotenoids include hydrocarbons (carotenes) and their oxygenated, alcoholic, derivatives (xanthophylls). Representative examples of carotenes include beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene. Representative examples of xanthophylls include lutein, zeaxanthin, capsorubin, capsanthin, astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin. Lycopene is a natural red carotinoid which occurs for example in tomatoes. It can also be produced synthetically. Carotenoids are abundant in fruits and vegetables and have been studied extensively as antioxidants for the prevention of cancer and other human diseases. Among the dietary carotenoids, the focus has been on beta-carotene that has been established to play an important role in the prevention of various types of cancer. More recent research has shown that other carotenoids, including lycopene, possess strong antioxidant capabilities and can be useful in the prevention of diseases including cancer. Lycopene, the open chain analog of beta-carotene, shares with it similar structure with an extended conjugated double bonds. In human plasma, lycopene and beta-carotene are quantitatively the major carotenoids. Lycopene was shown to possess the greatest quenching ability of singlet oxygen among the various carotenoids. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant and free radical quencher. Lycopene has been found concentrated in various body tissues, such as liver, adrenal, and adipose tissues, as well as in the prostate. Lycopene occurs naturally and abunds in a number of fruits, primarily in tomatoes and water melon, from which it can be extracted by different extraction processes. Lycopene can also be synthesized by a variety of synthetic routes, both chemically and biosynthetically.

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