European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

LYCOPENE IN TOMATO BASED PRODUCTS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: IT’S ROLE IN HEALTH AND PREVANTION OF DISEASE

Omkar Kamble*, Priya Mourya, Rahul Marathe, Dnyaneshwar Pawar and Prajakta Kshirsagar

ABSTRACT

Lycopene; a non-provitamin A carotenoid is responsible for the red to pink colours seen in tomatoes, pink grapefruit, and other foods of fruit and vegetable origin. Processed tomato products are the primary source of dietary lycopene. Lycopene has unique structural and chemical features that may contribute to specific biological properties. Unlike many other natural compounds; lycopene is generally stable to processing when the lycopene content in tomato pastes ranged from 50.97±1.08 mg/kg in vital tomato paste to 68.12±1.44 mg/kg in Gino tomato paste. In the fruits, lycopene content ranged from 0.47±0.04 mg/kg in grape fruits (white) to 32.15±0.70 mg/kg in watermelon. Among the yellowish-red vegetables, lycopene content ranged from 14.88±0.70 mg/kg in red bell pepper to 45.49±0.98 mg/kg in ripe tomato fruit. In green leafy vegetables, lycopene ranged from 4.96±0.13 mg/kg in waterleaf to 11.79±0.28 mg/kg in bitter leaf. This study has shown that tomato paste is very rich in lycopene followed by fresh ripe tomato fruit, watermelon and fresh chilli pepper. Bitter leaf and Pumpkin leaf were observed to have the highest lycopene content amongst the green leafy vegetables. Tomato paste, fresh tomato watermelon and pumpkin should be regularly included in the diet for adequate supply of lycopene n present in the plant tissue matrix. Dietary intake of lycopene is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (PCa). We conducted a clinical trial in men with prostate cancer to investigate the biological and clinical effects of lycopene supplementation. Twenty-six men with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to receive a lycopene supplement or no supplement for three weeks before radical prostatectomy.

Keywords: .