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Prostate support, cardio protection, repair from UV radiation — lycopene can do it all.
Mark J Tallon, PhD, uncovers the growing body of science behind this multi-faceted ingredient
The lovable tomato has caused quite a
stir scientifically speaking over the
past few years. Recent market projections
by the Business Communication Co
(BCC)1 suggest the carotenoid market
will breach the $1 billion mark by 2009
and lycopene sales will surpass $26 million, according to Frost & Sullivan.2
Although at present the food colourant
market is the leading carotenoid outlet, the
fastest-growing segment for carotenoid
sales is poised to boom from dietary supplements and fortified foods. These rapid
upturns in possible market revenue have
not gone unnoticed.
Such is the case for European behemoths
DSM (Roche) and BASF, who at present
control three-fourths of the global
carotenoid market. Word on the street, as
reported by BCC, suggests these market statistics are unlikely to change for at least the
next five years.
So how have these statistics been impacted by the scientific turnover of lycopene
research over the past 10 years? Where is the
research heading? And what are the immediate and long-term challenges facing both
the carotenoid and lycopene market?
A DECADE OF GROWTH
Over the past 10 years, we have seen
some remarkable growth in the academic
interest in tomatoes, carotanoids, and, ultimately, lycopene. The yearly lycopene publication number over the past 10 years has
increased by more than 400 per cent
(tomatoes and carotenoids by 80 and 170
per cent, respectively).
This vast increase in research is reflective
of the global growth of carotenoids sales
for the enhancement of health. From
the early beginnings of Dr
Giovannuchi’s epidemiological-based insights, the antioxidant
activities of carotenoid intake3 has
now been confirmed by clinically
validated, double-blinded and randomized interventions.
But where is this latter research
taking the supply and manufacturing chain? And what opportunities
are emerging for hooking new public
interest in tomato-based extracts for
enhancing health and slowing deleterious disease states?
PROSTATE HEALTH
I would be remiss without giving an
overview of a defining disease state regarding lycopene’s action: prostate health.
Prostate cancer is a worldwide health
problem, with an estimated 230,000 new
cases occurring in the US in 2004 and
30,000 deaths.4 This places prostate cancer
as the second-leading cause of cancer
death in US men.4
The prostate health crisis led to a
search for a prevention strategy that was
effective from a clinical and fiscal basis.
Soon, epidemiological evidence of the
protective role of tomatoes in the US diet
provided a possible answer 3,5 as men who
consumed the most tomato products had
significantly lower risk of developing
prostate cancer. Following these initial
observations, many studies have investigated the effects
of tomato product extracts, including
lycopene, on diseases of the prostate.6,7
One of the most interesting studies over
the last year is that by Ulrich Siler’s group
at Charité University Hospital, Humboldt-University Berlin.8 Although lycopene
research has been primarily epidemiological and/or looking into disease states, this
current study answers the fundamentals
about disease prevention as well as its
actions on health issues.
Copenhagen male rats were supplemented with 200ug lycopene/g diet and
every two weeks starting at day 0 until
week 8, groups of 6-8 rats were killed and
their prostates analysed for lycopene accumulation and distribution, changes in
gene expression, and prostate lobe weight.
In comparison to placebo following the same dietary intake, less lycopene showed increased lycopene in primarily the alltrans isoform with the highest distribution/uptake observed in the lateral lobe of
the prostate. Further analysis went on to
show that factors involved in prostate cancer prevention were significantly affected
including a reduction in androgenic
enzymes, IGF-1, and a selection of inflammatory cytokines. These very insightful
results suggest lycopene may offer a long-term strategy in reducing the risk of
prostate cancers.
Of greater interest is the effectiveness of
lycopene as a treatment strategy, which may
depend on where prostate cancers occur (ie,
which lobe) due to the localized accumulation of lycopene in the prostate. Re-analysis
of epidemiological studies should be able to
shed light on this and may be an interesting
factor in treatment outcomes.
CARDIO PROTECTION
Antioxidants have been shown time
and again to slow the progression of atherosclerosis because of their ability to
neutralize damaging oxidative processes.9,10 The oxidation of low-density
lipoproteins, which transport cholesterol
into the blood stream, is thought to play
an integral role in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases including heart attack
and ischemic strokes.11,12
The logical therapeutic step was to look
for antioxidants, which were powerful oxidant quenchers. One of the answers came in
the form of the most potent singlet oxygen
quencher among carotenoids: lycopene.13
Following on from studies suggesting
lycopene may affect risk factors of coronary
heart disease, new research sought to systematically examine the effects of lycopene
in the prevention of platelet aggregation
and thrombus formation.14
| Lycopene is known to inhibit sunburn
and delay light-induced skin ageing |
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Researchers found a dose-dependency
relationship between lycopene and inhibited platelet aggregation (a risk factor in
blood-clot formation and stroke). The
biochemical pathways suggested to bring
about this effect were inhibition of intra-cellular Ca+2 mobilization and activation
of cyclic GMP/nitrate in human platelets,
resulting in the inhibition of platelet
aggregation.
The results may imply that tomato-based foods such as lycopene are especially beneficial in the prevention of platelet
aggregation and thrombosis.14 Extensive
human trials are still required to confirm
these results.
SKIN: UV RADIATION
The US cosmeceuticals industry is projected to grow to $4.7 billion by 202015 and as such, functional foods competitors have
been scrambling to carve out their share of
the personal health industry over the past
decade. One of the most lucrative and
under-exploited niches in this category is
dermal health.
Dr Karin Wertz, laboratory head at DSM
Nutritionals, also believes this is a very
important growth area. "In addition to
prostate cancer prevention, lycopene has
interesting benefits for skin health, such as
inhibition of sunburn and delay of light-induced skin ageing," he says.
Exposure to UV light brings about a
series of photo-oxidative reactions that can
negatively impact dermal health.16 The biochemical reactions brought about via
photo-oxidation damage the integrity of
skin cells leading to premature ageing and
in some cases melanomas. One initial skin
damage sign visible upon excessive exposure to UV light is erythema (redness or
inflammation of the skin or mucous membranes) of which the impact of carotenoids
and lycopene have been assessed as a
method of decreasing photo-damage.17,18
Investigators assessed the photoprotective properties of synthetic lycopene
in comparison with a tomato extract
(Lyc-o-Mato) and a drink containing
solubilized tomato extracts (Lyc-o-Guard-Drink).18 These three different
sources amounted to about 10mg/day of
lycopene. Following 12 weeks of supplementation, significant increases in serum
lycopene levels and total skin carotenoids
were observed in all groups.
At weeks 0, 4 and 12, erythema was
induced with a solar light simulator. A
decrease in erythema formation was observed in all groups from weeks 0-12.
Compared to week 0, the reduction in erythema was significantly lower (25 per cent)
in the synthetic lycopene group. However,
the protective effect was more pronounced
in the Lyc-o-Mato (38 per cent) and Lyc-o-Guard-Drink (48 per cent) groups.
In the two latter groups, phytofluene and
phytoene may have contributed to protection.18 Both phytofluene and phytoene
exhibit absorption maxima at wavelengths
of UV light giving additional protection.
Absorption of UV light protects skin from
photo-damage and might explain the differences observed between groups.18
Based on these results, a combination of
tomato extracts including lycopene may be
the most effective way to protect the skin
from UV damage. However, topical applications may give different results and are
worth further investigation.
EU PAVES THE WAY
Frost & Sullivan forecasts the European
carotenoid market will rise to $419.6 million
in 20102 driven by health and ageing issues.
But with all the science available on
carotenoids and lycopene, public awareness
seems to be lagging.
In fact, health claims might even confuse
consumers and actively turn them away
from purchases, according to the UK’s Food
Standards Agency (FSA), which last year
conducted extensive research into how consumers understand claims.19 The agency
concluded that consumers respond to them
in a nonscientific way.
An example of claims typically misinterpreted are those that refer to cholesterol-lowering effects. These claims were viewed as
being for sick people and not the average
consumer — and in the worst cases, many
consumers didn’t even notice them on the
packaging. The FSA concluded that issues of
brand familiarity, taste, overall product
appeal and ‘naturalness’ of ingredients were
much more important to decision-making.
One point to consider in the future
exploitation of the growing carotenoid market is to take a lesson from functional foods
brands that are highly successful, yet carry
no health claims at all. Yakult, for example, a
$2.3 billion brand, talks only about ‘wellness
from the inside.’ We already have some focus
of noningredient health claims in lycopene
marketing such as Redivivo by DSM.
"Imagine a beverage with a red tomato
color and providing a health benefit (a
healthy red)," explains Dr Wiltrud Baier,
global marketing manager at DSM
Nutritional Products. "Redivivo, DSM’s
lycopene-based products, is optimal for
these applications, as it has excellent stability and performance, as well as the highest
quality standards."
DSM may try to use the image and
color of the healthy tomato as an integral
branding tool rather than relying only on
science-based claims.
WHAT’S AHEAD
The science behind lycopene has grown
radically over the past decade with no
immediate slowdown in academic interest.
The fields of research have far surpassed its
prostate-based roots, leading to new marketing for a host of health and disease conditions including macular degeneration,
infertility, high blood pressure (preeclampsia), asthma, drug-induced
carotenoid depletion and ameliorating the
decline in oxidative stress during intense
fatiguing exercise.
Some of the most relevant issues to food
technologists and research scientists are primarily issues of bioavailability and of which
cis isomers of lycopene are the most effective
in providing a positive impact in specific
disease cases.
Following the establishment of lycopene
as a positive nutrient in food, scientists are
now assessing and searching for new sources
of lycopene (ie, red carrots, passionflower
fruit, red palm oil) and their influence on
human health.
Together, peer-reviewed research and
increasing public education of tomato-based extracts will surely provide a sustainable and lucrative niche in the carotenoid
industry to 2010 and well beyond.
Mark J Tallon, PhD, is chief science officer of OxygeniX, a London-based consultancy firm specialising in claims substantiation, product development and technical writing.www.oxygenix.com Dr Tallon is also co-founder of Cr-Technologies, a raw-ingredients supplier. www.cr-technologies.net
REFERENCES
1. The Global Market for Carotenoids. Connecticut: Business Communications Co Inc, 2001, p117.
2. Frost & Sullivan. European Carotenoids Market (B260). New York, 2003.
3. Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, et al. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer. J. Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87; 23:1767-76.
4. American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2004, National Home Office. Atlanta, p1-56.
5. Mills PK, Beeson WL, et al. Cohort study of diet, lifestyle and prostate cancer in Adventist men. Cancer; 1989; 64:598-604.
6. Agarwal S, Rao AV. Tomato lycopene and low-density lipoprotein oxidation: A human dietary intervention study. Lipids 1998; 33:981-4.
7. Kucuk O, Sakr, FH, et al. Lycopene supplementation in men with prostate cancer (PCa) reduces grade and of preneoplasia (PIN) and tumor, decreases serum prostate specific antigen and modulates biomarkers of growth and differentiation [Abstract P1.13]. International Conference on Diet and Prevention of Cancer; 1999 Tampere, Finland.
8. Siler U, Herzog A, et al. Lycopene effects on rat normal prostate and prostate tumor tissue. J.Nutr. 2005; 135(8):2050S-2S.
9. Parthasarathy S. Mechanisms by which dietary antioxidants may prevent cardiovascular diseases. J Med Food 1998; 1:45-51.
10. Morris DL, Kritchevsky SB, et al. Serum carotenoids and coronary heart disease. The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial and Follow-up Study. JAMA 1994; 272(18):1439-41.
11. Witztum JL. The oxidation hypothesis of atherosclerosis. Lancet. 1994; 344: 793-795.
12. Parthasarathy S, Steinberg D, et al. The role of oxidized low-density lipoproteins in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Annu Rev Med 1992; 43:219-25.
13. Di Mascio P, Kaiser S, et al. Lycopene as the most efficient biological
carotenoid singlet oxygen quencher. Arch Biochem Biophys 1998; 274(2):532-8.
14. Hsiao G, Wang, Y, et al. Inhibitory effects of lycopene on in vitro platelet activation and in vivo prevention of thrombus formation. J.Lab.Clin.Med. 2005; 146(4):216-26.
15. Freedonia Group. World Nutraceuticals Report. 2001, Cleveland, Ohio
16. Ribaya-Mercado JD, Garmyn M, et al. Skin lycopene is destroyed preferentially over beta-carotene during ultraviolet irradiation in humans. J.Nutr. 1995; 125(7):1854-9.
17. Fazekas Z., Gao D., et al. Protective effects of lycopene against ultraviolet B-induced photodamage. Nutr Cancer 2003; 47(2):181-7.
18. Aust O, Stahl W, et al. Supplementation with tomato-based products increases lycopene, phytofluene, and phytoene levels in human serum and protects against UV-light-induced erythema. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2005; 75(1):54-60.
19. Food Standard Agency. Consumer attitudes to food standards: UK report. 2004, London, UK p1-130.
Mark J Tallon, PhD, is chief science officer of OxygeniX, a London-based consultancy firm specialising in claims substantiation, product development and technical writing. www.oxygenix.com. Dr. Tallon is also co-founder of Cr-Technologies, a raw-ingredients supplier. www.cr-technologies.net.
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