Lycopene: A Natural Arsenal in the War against Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Diseases

• Published in: Antioxidants Vol. 11; no. 2; p. 232
• Main Authors: Bin-Jumah, May Nasser, Nadeem, Muhammad Shahid, Gilani, Sadaf Jamal, Mubeen, Bismillah, Ullah, Inam, Alzarea, Sami I, Ghoneim, Mohammed M, Alshehri, Sultan, Al-Abbasi, Fahad A, Kazmi, Imran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26-01-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Angiotensin; Antihypertensives; Antioxidants; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Bioavailability; Blood pressure; Carbon; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Carotenoids; Cholesterol; Chronic illnesses; Coronary artery; coronary artery disease; Coronary vessels; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diabetes mellitus; Dietary supplements; DNA; Fruits; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Heart diseases; High density lipoprotein; Hypertension; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Low density lipoprotein; Lycopene; Medical research; Nitrous oxide; nutraceutical; Oxidative stress; Peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Reactive oxygen species; Review; Vein & artery diseases; coronary artery disease; lycopene; hypertension; nutraceutical; reactive oxygen species
• ISSN: 2076-3921; 2076-3921
• DOI: 10.3390/antiox11020232

Lycopene is a bioactive red pigment found in plants, especially in red fruits and vegetables, including tomato, pink guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, and watermelon. Several research reports have advocated its positive impact on human health and physiology. For humans, lycopene is an essential substance obtained from dietary sources to fulfil the body requirements. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing oxidative stress and downstream complications include one of the major health concerns worldwide. In recent years, oxidative stress and its counter strategies have attracted biomedical research in order to manage the emerging health issues. Lycopene has been reported to directly interact with ROS, which can help to prevent chronic diseases, including diabetes and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. In this context, the present review article was written to provide an accumulative account of protective and ameliorative effects of lycopene on coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension, which are the leading causes of death worldwide. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant that fights ROS and, subsequently, complications. It reduces blood pressure via inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme and regulating nitrous oxide bioavailability. It plays an important role in lowering of LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and improving HDL (high-density lipoproteins) levels to minimize atherosclerosis, which protects the onset of coronary artery disease and hypertension. Various studies have advocated that lycopene exhibited a combating competence in the treatment of these diseases. Owing to all the antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive properties, lycopene provides a potential nutraceutical with a protective and curing ability against coronary artery disease and hypertension.