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 "likopena". 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.
Kerana fungsi fisiologinya yang unggul, ia sangat penting untuk mencegah penyakit kardiovaskular, arteriosklerosis dan penyakit dewasa lain, meningkatkan sistem imun manusia dan melambatkan penuaan, jadi ia merupakan pigmen semula jadi berfungsi baharu yang menjanjikan.
Di satu pihak, ia adalah kerana kesan antioksidannya; sebaliknya, yang boleh menyekat proses mutasi gen sel tisu di bawah tindakan mutagen luaran, yang merupakan salah satu mekanisme penting tumorigenesis.
Eksperimen mendapati ia boleh menjejaskan fasa S sel-sel kanser payudara, paru-paru dan rahim; ia menjejaskan pertumbuhan sel dengan menghalang peringkat peralihan Gl kepada S kitaran sel; ia boleh menghalang pengoksidaan kolesterol LDL. Ia berkesan boleh menghalang pengeluaran karsinogen dan mendorong tumor dengan pembentukan amina heterosiklik yang dihasilkan dalam tindak balas pemerangan daging dan ikan panggang. Kajian telah menunjukkan bahawalikopenamempunyai kesan perencatan tertentu pada kanser saluran penghadaman, kanser serviks, kanser payudara, kanser kulit, kanser pundi kencing, dll.
