Explore the vast range of titles available.

Lycopene rich food and dark chocolate are among the best-documented products with a broad health benefit. This study explored the systemic effect of lycopene and dark chocolate (DC) on gut microbiota, blood, liver metabolism, skeletal muscle tissue oxygenation and skin. 30 volunteers were recruited for this trial, 15 women and 15 men with a mean age of 55 ± 5.7 years and with moderate obesity, 30 < BMI < 35 kg/m2. They were randomized and divided into five equal interventional groups: three received different formulations of lycopene, one of them with a 7 mg daily dose and two with 30 mg; another group was given 10 g of DC with 7 mg lycopene embedded into its matrix, and the last group received 10 g DC. The trial was double-blinded for the three lycopene groups and separately for the 2 DC groups; the trial lasted for 1 month. By the end of the trial there were dose-dependent changes in the gut microbiota profile in all three lycopene groups with an increase of relative abundance of, e.g., Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum. This was also accompanied by dose-dependent changes in the blood, liver metabolism, skeletal muscle and skin parameters. Consumption of DC resulted in increased relative abundance of, e.g., Lactobacillus and a reduction of corneocyte exfoliation. This is the first study which reports the prebiotic potential of lycopene and DC.

Purpose Poor sperm quality is a major contributor to infertility in heterosexual couples, but at present there are few empirical therapies. Several studies have examined the role of dietary factors and data from randomized controlled trials suggest that oral antioxidant therapy can improve some sperm parameters. Health benefits of lycopene supplementation have been proposed for a variety of health conditions and here we examine whether it can help improve sperm quality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 14 mg daily lactolycopene for 12 weeks on semen quality in healthy men. Methods Sixty healthy male participants were recruited and randomized to this double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel study and received either 14 mg/d lactolycopene or a placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was a change in motile sperm concentration. Secondary endpoints were all other aspects of sperm quality, including the level of sperm DNA damage. Results Fifty-six men completed the intervention and the level of plasma lycopene was significantly increased in the men randomized to receive lycopene supplementation. There was no significant change in the primary endpoint (motile sperm concentration) post-intervention ( p  = 0.058). However, the proportion of fast progressive sperm ( p  = 0.006) and sperm with normal morphology ( p  < 0.001) did improve significantly in response to lactolycopene intervention. Conclusions Supplementation with 14 mg/d lactolycopene improves sperm motility and morphology in young healthy men. Clinical Trial Registry number and website ISRCTN33248724 http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN33248724

Metabolic syndrome, whose main diagnostic component is obesity, is a risk factor for lifestyle-related diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diet is known to affect the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. However, the effect of diet on metabolic syndrome in Japanese subjects has not been thoroughly explored. In the present study, we investigated the effect of carotenoid-rich vegetables, particularly lycopene- and lutein-rich vegetables, on the metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese men. We conducted an 8-week long randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial in which, 28 middle-aged (40 ≤ age < 65) Japanese men with high body mass index (BMI ≥ 25) were randomized into four dietary groups: high lycopene + high lutein (HLyHLu), high lycopene + low lutein (HLyLLu), low lycopene + high lutein (LLyHLu), and low lycopene + low lutein (LLyLLu). Our results showed that daily beverage-intake increased the plasma levels of carotenoids without adverse effects, and the visceral fat level was significantly decreased in all the groups. The waist circumference was significantly decreased only in the HLyLLu group, whereas the CoQ10 oxidation rate was decreased in all the groups. The gene expression profiles of whole blood samples before and after ingestion differed only in the LLyLLu group, indicating the effect of carotenoids on gene expression profile. In conclusion, our results suggest that dietary uptake of carotenoid-rich vegetables increases their concentration in blood and reduces the intra-abdominal visceral fat.

Whether prostate cancer (PCa) may be preventable by dietary interventions can be assessed in randomized trials using intermediate biomarkers of cancer risk or progression. We investigated whether lycopene or green tea modify circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF) peptides in men at increased risk of PCa. Participants (aged 50–69 years) in one centre in the UK wide PCa testing and treatment trial (ProtecT) with prostate specific antigen between 2.0 and 2.95 ng/ml or negative biopsies, were randomized to daily lycopene ( n = 44 assigned 15 mg capsules/day; 44 assigned a lycopene-rich diet; 45 assigned placebo) and green tea ( n = 45 assigned 600 mg/day epigallocatechin gallate; 45 assigned green tea drink; 43 assigned placebo) for 6 months. The interventions significantly elevated the primary outcomes, serum epigallocatechin gallate and lycopene at 6 months of follow-up. We report here an exploratory analysis in which serum IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF binding protein (BP)-2 and IGFBP-3 were measured at baseline and 6 months of postintervention. A total of 133 men were randomized (34% of eligible men approached) and 130 had follow-up IGF peptides (98%). In intention-to-treat analyses, there was only weak evidence that lycopene or green tea influenced some aspects of serum IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2 or IGFBP-3. In men randomized to lycopene supplements, IGFBP-2 was nonsignificantly (50.9 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval: −51.2–152.9, P = 0.3) higher in comparison to placebo, whereas in men randomized to green tea supplements, IGFBP-3 was nonsignificantly (205.2 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval: −583.3–172.9, P = 0.3) lower than with placebo. In this small, pilot randomized controlled trial, there was little evidence that lycopene or green tea interventions influenced serum levels of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBBP-3 and IGFBP-2. However, the effects were imprecisely estimates and some observed trends may justify larger trials.

As an antioxidant, lycopene has acquired importance as it prevents autoxidation of fats and related products. Tomatoes are an important agricultural product that is a great source of lycopene. It contains many vitamins and minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates and is associated with various positive effects on health. The antioxidant potential of tomatoes is substantially explained with lycopene compounds. Diet is a major risk factor for heart diseases which is shown as the most important cause of death in the world. It has been observed that the lycopene taken in the diet has positive effects in many stages of atherosclerosis. The serum lipid levels, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, blood pressure, and antioxidative potential are mainly affected by lycopene. These natural antioxidants, which can also enhance the nutritional value of foods, may lead to new ways if used in food preservation. In this review study, the antioxidant potential and cardiovascular protection mechanism of lycopene are discussed.

Effective treatment of oral homogeneous leukoplakia requires the use of an antioxidant with optimal properties to ensure a regression of the lesion with respect to size and colour, which is evaluated clinically and also with the help of salivary MDA levels. Despite the availability of various antioxidants, an improved standard evaluation system is needed for adjunct therapy of herbal antioxidants to widely systemically administered lycopene; a standardised evaluation system still needs to be improved. To develop a Comparative Cumulative Index (CCI) for assessment of regression of oral homogeneous leukoplakia that systematically evaluates and ranks adjunct herbal antioxidants to systemically administered lycopene based on their regression in size and colour of lesion and salivary MDA levels. CCI was developed through a structured process involving expert identification, panel discussions, and the establishment of scoring criteria. Two herbal antioxidants as an adjunct to systemically administered lycopene and lycopene alone (Groups A, B, C) were evaluated. Mean values for the core properties were calculated, and antioxidants were ranked accordingly. The total CCI for each antioxidant was computed based on the assigned scores for each property. Lesion size, lesion colour, and salivary MDA parameters all showed differences in CCI between the assessed treatment groups. Group C, with a 50% CCI. Group B’s performance, with a CCI of 41%, is highlighted by deficiencies in several properties, whereas Group A came in third with a CCI of 34%. CCI provides a comprehensive antioxidant evaluation approach to assist practitioners in making informed decisions. The significance of balancing regression in lesion size and colour as well as salivary MDA levels is highlighted by Group C’s high CCI. The results are in line with earlier studies that emphasized the significance of these traits in the treatment of oral homogeneous leukoplakia. The CCI makes it easier to compare adjunct antioxidant therapy based on empirical data and offers a reliable and equitable method of evaluating antioxidants. Future research should enhance the index and validate its use in a range of clinical contexts in order to improve treatment outcomes in oral homogeneous leukoplakia.

Carotenoids are generally associated with health-beneficial effects; however, their intake patterns related to the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components remain controversial. This cross-sectional study investigated associations between dietary intakes of individual carotenoids, fruits and vegetables, and the MetS and its components. Dietary intakes of 1346 participants of the Observation des Risques et de la Santé Cardio-Vasculaire au Luxembourg (ORISCAV-LUX-2) study were investigated by a 174-item FFQ, and carotenoid intake was determined by linking findings using mainly the USDA food databases. Components of MetS and complementary variables, including anthropometric (BMI, waist circumferences and waist:hip ratio) and biological parameters (TAG, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure), were measured. Logistic (for MetS) and linear multivariable regression models (including assessing MetS as scores) adjusted for various confounders were created. α-and β-Carotene, as well as lutein + zeaxanthin, were inversely associated with MetS (also when it was measured on a continuous scale), reducing the odds for MetS by up to 48 %. However, lycopene, phytoene and phytofluene were rather positively associated with MetS scores and its components, though these adverse effects disappeared, at least for lycopene, when controlling for intakes of tomato-based convenience foods, in line with indicating a rather unhealthy/westernised diet. All these associations remained significant when including fruits and vegetables as confounders, suggesting that carotenoids were related to MetS independently from effects within fruits and vegetables. Thus, a high intake of carotenoids was bidirectionally associated with MetS, its severity, risk and its components, depending on the type of carotenoid. Future investigations are warranted to explore the inverse role that tomato-based carotenoids appear to suggest in relation to the MetS.

Lycopene is considered as a promising neuroprotector with multiple bioactivities, while its therapeutic use in neurological disorders is restricted due to low solubility, instability and limited bioavailability. Our work aimed to develop lycopene-loaded microemulsion (LME) and investigate its potentials in improving bioavailability and brain-targeting efficiency following oral administration. The blank microemulsion (ME) excipients were selected based on orthogonal design and pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, and LME was prepared using the water titration method and characterized in terms of stability, droplet size distribution, zeta potential, shape and lycopene content. The optimized LME encompassed lycopene, (R)-(+)-limonene, Tween 80, Transcutol HP and water and lycopene content was 463.03 ± 8.96 µg/mL. This novel formulation displayed transparent appearance and satisfactory physical and chemical stabilities. It was spherical and uniform in morphology with an average droplet size of 12.61 ± 0.46 nm and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.086 ± 0.028. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of optimized LME were evaluated in rats and mice, respectively. The pharmacokinetic study revealed a dramatic 2.10-fold enhancement of relative bioavailability with LME against the control lycopene dissolved in olive oil (LOO) dosage form in rats. Moreover, LME showed a preferential targeting distribution of lycopene toward brain in mice, with the value of drug targeting index (DTI) up to 3.45. In conclusion, the optimized LME system demonstrated excellent physicochemical properties, enhanced oral bioavailability and superior brain-targeting capability. These findings provide a basis for the applications of ME-based strategy in brain-targeted delivery via oral route, especially for poorly water-soluble drugs.

Animal husbandry development is influenced by various factors, with heat stress (HS) being a significant factor. The aim of this experiment was to explore the potential of natural antioxidants such as vitamin C (VITC), vitamin E (VITE), lycopene (LYC), and allicin (AL) in enhancing growth, immune function and maintaining the redox status of fattening rabbits under HS. Male weaning rabbits ( n  = 150, 5 weeks of age) were randomly assigned to 5 groups. The rabbits were fed a basal diet (control group) or supplemented with 40 mg of vitamin E (VE40), 5 mg of vitamin C (VC5), 150 mg of lycopene (LYC150), or 150 mg of allicin (AL150) per kg of diet, respectively, under summer Egyptian conditions. The overall temperature humidity index (THI) value was 29.76, indicating severe HS during the experimental period. The findings indicated that all dietary supplemented groups showed significant improvements in live body weight at 8 weeks ( P  < 0.0001) and 11 weeks ( P  < 0.05) of age compared to the control group. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved with all additives ( P  < 0.05), while feed intake and carcass traits were not affected by the treatments ( P  > 0.05). The AL group had the highest dressing percentage compared to the other groups ( P  < 0.05). Feeding stressed rabbits with antioxidant supplements resulted in a higher hemoglobin concentration compared to the control group ( P  < 0.05). Aspartate transaminase (AST), triglycerides, and creatinine levels were decreased with all additives as compared to the control group ( P  < 0.05). Total protein and albumin were significantly higher in AL group than in other groups ( P  < 0.05). The serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG) was significantly increased, while tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) were decreased by all feed additives ( P  < 0.05). Immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM) did not differ among all experimental groups ( P  > 0.05). Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione (GSH) levels were higher in all supplement groups compared to the HS group ( P  < 0.05). All dietary supplements significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver tissues and blood serum compared to the control group ( P  < 0.05). Collectively, allicin emerged as a potent shield against heat stress, bettering lycopene and vitamins E and C in safeguarding the well-being of growing rabbits.

Background/Objectives: The potential influence of lycopene on mental health was indicated in some studies, but it was not summarized within any systematic review so far. The aim of the presented study was to analyze the influence of lycopene on mental health within a systematic review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Methods: The study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and it was based on PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases, while the RCTs published until February 2025 were included. The systematic review was registered within the database of the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD420250650525). The studies were considered where the adult population was studied; intervention was based on oral lycopene intake in any form (lycopene supplement, lycopene-enriched functional food, or regular food product being an important source of lycopene); lycopene intake of a specified dose was applied; any mental health result was studied using a valid psychological measure. After duplicate removal, 642 studies were screened, and finally, six RCTs were included and assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials, while various mental health outcomes were allowed (excluding subjects with intellectual disabilities, eating disorders, and neurological disorders). Each stage of screening, inclusion, reporting, and assessment was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: The included studies were conducted in populations of healthy individuals (one study), but mainly in individuals with various diseases: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (two studies), Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) (one study), xerostomia (one study), and infertility (one study). Within the included studies, various lycopene sources were applied, including lycopene supplements, functional foods, and regular food products, as well as various lycopene doses from 1.35 mg to 27.8 mg per day. The included studies assessed quality of life (five studies), depression and anxiety (two studies), stress (two studies), and mood states (one study). In spite of the fact that all six included studies were RCTs, the comparison between the intervention group and placebo group was made in only four studies, and none of them stated the difference between the compared groups. A low risk of bias was concluded for three studies (all of them not confirming the influence of lycopene on mental health), and a high risk of bias was found in three studies (one of them not confirming, and two not conclusive). Conclusions: The evidence gathered within the systematic review of RCTs did not confirm any influence of lycopene on mental health. Further RCTs are needed to verify the influence of lycopene provided within supplements, functional foods, and regular food products on various mental health problems in diverse populations.