Lycopene of long-chain polyunsaturated olefin molecule structure, make its have strong ability to eliminate free radicals and antioxidant capacity. Current research mainly focused on the role of biological oxidation, reduce the risk lutein eye complex of cardiovascular disease and reduce genetic damage and inhibiting tumor development, etc.
Caused oxidative damage is considered to be one of the leading causes of cancer and heart cerebrovascular disease. Lycopene in vitro antioxidant capacity has been confirmed by many experiments, lycopene quenching singlet oxygen ability is the current commonly used antioxidant beta-carotene, more than 2 times, 100 times that of vitamin E.
Lycopene can deeply remove blood vessel garbage, adjust the plasma cholesterol concentration, protect the low density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation, still can repair perfect oxidized cells, promote cell, colloid formation, enhance the flexibility of blood vessels. According to a survey study, serum concentration of lycopene and negatively saw palmetto extract correlated with the onset of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage risk. Lycopene anti rabbit atherosclerosis research shows that lycopene can effectively reduce the rabbit serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - C) level, the effect with sodium fluoride cut statin. And another study showed that lycopene has protective effect to the local cerebral ischemia, mainly through its antioxidant, scavenging free radicals are activated to restrain activity of glial cells, shrink the area of the injury of cerebral perfusion.
Lycopene and reduce radiation or skin by ultraviolet (UV) damage, and other functions. When the UV light skin, the skin of lycopene combined with UV produce free radicals, protect skin from damage, and irradiation compared to UV skin, lycopene decreased by 31% ~ 46%, other component content is almost the same. Research has shown that through regular intake of foods rich in best green coffee bean extract lycopene can against UV, avoid the UV irradiation have lupus. Lycopene can also quenching free radicals of skin cells, has obvious fading effect to senile plaques.
Lycopene can activate the immune cells that protect the phagocytes from oxidative damage, promote T, B lymphocyte proliferation, the function of T cells, stimulating effect on promoting and inhibiting inflammation medium to generate some interleukin. The study found that moderate doses of lycopene capsules, can improve human immunity, reduce damage of acute exercise on immunity.
Mammals can't synthesis of lycopene by oneself, must be obtained from vegetables and fruits. Lycopene mainly exist in the food, such as tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit and guava. Content of lycopene in tomato and varies with the variety and maturity. The higher the maturity, the higher lycopene content. Fresh ripe tomato lycopene content in general is 31 ~ 37 mg/kg, often fenugreek saponins edible lycopene content in tomato juice/sauce according to different concentration and the producing method of about 93 ~ 290 mg/kg, higher lycopene content in fruit and guava (about 52 mg/kg), watermelon (about 45 mg/kg), grapefruit (14.2 mg/kg), etc. Carrots, pumpkins, lee, persimmon, peach, mango, pomegranate, grapes and other fruits and vegetables are available in a small amount of lycopene (0.1 ~ 1.5 mg/kg).