WELCOME TO LYCOPENE. Cardiovascular diseases, along with cancer, are the main mortality causes in Europe and other developed countries
 2008-09-09

Lycopene is a plant pigment found in high concentration in red fruits, especially tomatoes – Europe’s second-most important crop. Strong correlative evidence suggests that lycopene may provide important protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

However, these two aspects – lycopene content of tomatoes and lycopene’s beneficial effects – have not been sufficiently linked because research has lacked a “total food chain” approach. The missing links in the chain are the development of healthy new foods and nutritional guidelines. There are also many details regarding bioavailability, metabolism, and molecular mechanisms of lycopene biological activities that are still unknown.

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the main mortality causes in Europe and all developed territories. Lycopene is a plant pigment found among others in tomatoes, Europe’s second-most important agricultural crop. Strong supportive data from several epidemiological studies suggest that lycopene may provide important protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, lycopene contents of tomatoes and processed tomato products and lycopene’s beneficial effects, have not been sufficiently linked because research has lacked a “total food chain” approach.

State of the art Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the main mortality causes in Europe and all developed territories. Lycopene is a plant pigment found in high concentration in tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon, and papaya.

Tomatoes are Europe’s second-most important agricultural crop, and tomatoes and tomato products are the main lycopene sources in the diet. Strong supportive data from several epidemiological studies suggest that lycopene may provide important protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, lycopene content of tomatoes and processed tomato products and lycopene’s beneficial effects, have not been sufficiently linked because research has lacked a “total food chain” approach. The missing links in this chain are: Formulating improved nutritional guidelines, and the evaluation of in vivo effects of healthy new foods. There are also many details regarding bioavailability, metabolism, and molecular mechanisms of lycopene biological activities that are still unknown.

The role of lycopene in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Lycopene project aims to study the role of tomatoes and tomato products in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. An opportunity for European companies to develop new, tomato-based products…

After the potato, the tomato is the most widely-consumed fruit and vegetable in Europe. It is also the plant which provides the most lycopene, a red pigment found in several red fruits and vegetables such as water-melon, papaya, etc. Strong correlative evidence suggests that lycopene may provide important protection against cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

However, these two aspects – the lycopene content of tomatoes and lycopene’s beneficial effects – have not been sufficiently linked because research has lacked a “total food chain approach”. For this reason, scientists, in collaboration with industrial partners and patient care organisations, will be studying the total food chain (from the "raw" tomato to the final product). The principal objectives of this study will be to determine how the lycopene content changes along the production chain, the effects of this compound and its metabolites on biological systems and its bioavailability in the human body.

Two INRA research laboratories are participating in the project:

The Joint Research Unit for Human Nutrition and Lipids in Marseille, which is trying to gain a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of lycopene absorption and the effects of lycopene on adipocytes (fat cells), The Joint Research Unit for the Safety and Quality of Products of Plant Origin in Avignon, which is focusing more particularly on identifying the metabolites which arise from lycopene degradation, and evaluating their antioxidant potential.

The results of Lycopene will make it possible to: formulate dietary recommendations concerning the consumption of tomatoes and tomato products so as to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, develop novel, tomato-based products with enhanced health benefits.