Bioavailability of all-trans and cis–Isomers of Lycopene
- 1 November 2002
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Frontiers Media SA in Experimental Biology and Medicine
- Vol. 227 (10), 914-919
- https://doi.org/10.1177/153537020222701012
Abstract
Lycopene, the predominant carotenoid in tomatoes, is among the major carotenoids in serum and tissues of Americans. Although about 90% of the lycopene in dietary sources is found in the linear, all-trans conformation, human tissues contain mainly cis-isomers. Several research groups have suggested that cis-lsomers of lycopene are better absorbed than the all-trans form because of the shorter length of the cis-isomer, the greater solubility of cis-isomers in mixed micelles, and/or as a result of the lower tendency of cis-isomers to aggregate. Work with ferrets, a species that absorbs carotenoids intact, has demonstrated that whereas a lycopene dose, stomach, and Intestinal contents contained 6–18% cis-lycopene, the mesenteric lymph secretions contained 77%-cis isomers. The ferret studies support the hypotheses that cis-isomers are substantially more bioavailable then all-trans lycopene. In vitro studies suggest that cis-isomers are more soluble in bile acid micelles and may be preferentially incorporated into chylomicrons. The implications of these findings are not yet clear. Rats appear to accumulate lycopene in tissues within the ranges reported for humans, suggesting that they can be used to study effects of lycopene isomers on disease processes. Investigations are underway to determine whether there are biological differences between all-trans and various cis-isomers of lycopene regarding its antioxidant properties or other biological functions.This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
- Isomerization of Lycopene in the Gastric MilieuBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2001
- Lycopene in Tomatoes: Chemical and Physical Properties Affected by Food ProcessingCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2000
- Absorption of lycopene from single or daily portions of raw and processed tomatoBritish Journal of Nutrition, 1998
- Content and isomeric ratio of lycopene in food and human blood plasmaFood Chemistry, 1997
- The potential role of lycopene for human health.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1997
- Intake of Carotenoids and Retino in Relation to Risk of Prostate CancerJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1995
- Probucol Treatment Decreases Serum Concentrations of Diet-Derived AntioxidantsArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, 1995
- cis-trans isomers of lycopene and β-carotene in human serum and tissuesArchives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1992
- The promoting effect of lycopene on the non-specific resistance of animalsExperimental Cell Research, 1959