likopen, 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 "likopen". 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.
Zaradi svojih vrhunskih fizioloških funkcij je zelo pomemben za preprečevanje bolezni srca in ožilja, ateroskleroze in drugih bolezni odraslih, krepitev imunskega sistema in zaviranje staranja, zato je obetaven nov funkcionalni naravni pigment.
Po eni strani je to zaradi njegovega antioksidativnega učinka; po drugi strani pa lahko blokira proces genske mutacije tkivnih celic pod delovanjem zunanjih mutagenov, kar je eden od pomembnih mehanizmov tumorigeneze.
Poskusi so ugotovili, da lahko vpliva na fazo S rakavih celic dojk, pljuč in maternice; vpliva na rast celic tako, da zavira prehodno stopnjo Gl v S celičnega cikla; lahko zavira oksidacijo LDL holesterola. Učinkovito lahko zavira nastajanje rakotvornih snovi in inducira tumorje s tvorbo heterocikličnih aminov, ki nastanejo v reakciji porjavitve mesa in rib na žaru. Študije so to pokazalelikopenima določen zaviralni učinek na raka prebavnega trakta, raka materničnega vratu, raka dojke, raka kože, raka mehurja itd.
