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Men who want to reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer by altering their diet should eat tomatoes or tomato products rather than rely on lycopene supplements, suggest researchers from Ohio State University, Columbus. 502-65-8
Consumption of lycopene, an antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red colour, has been associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer in epidemiological studies. However, the new study, conducted in rats, indicates that other components found in tomatoes may also be associated.
The researchers assigned 194 male rats with prostate cancer to diets containing whole tomato powder or pure lycopene, or to a control diet. After four weeks, the rats were further divided into two groups, one with unlimited access and one with restricted access to food.
The researchers found that rats fed a diet that included whole tomato products survived longer than rats in the other groups (their risk of prostate cancer death was 26 per cent lower). Animals in the tomato-fed, energy-restricted group fared even better, showing a 32 per cent drop in risk. No benefit from lycopene alone was seen in either the energy-restricted or unrestricted groups.
“Our observations support the concept that tomato products contain components in addition to lycopene that may inhibit prostate carcinogenesis,” the researchers say. They add that many men are consuming lycopene-containing supplements in the hope that they may prevent prostate cancer or enhance the treatment of their prostate cancer. “We suggest that a focus on interventions with whole tomato products and energy balance should be a priority while clinical studies simultaneously investigate the risks and benefits of lycopene supplementation.”
The study, which lasted 14 months, is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2003;95:1578).
The authors of an accompanying editorial (ibid, p1563), Dr Peter Gann, Northwestern University, Chicago, and Dr Frederick Khachik, University of Maryland, point out that plant compounds evolved as sets of interacting compounds. This complexity limits the usefulness of seeking to identify single protective compounds.
3-O-Ethyl-L-Ascorbic Acid, or Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is a molecule produced by modifying Ascorbic Acid, commonly known as Vitamin C. This modification is done to increase the molecule’s stability and enhance its transport through skin, as pure Vitamin C is easily degraded. In the body, the modifying group is removed and Vitamin C is restored in its natural form. Thus, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid retains the benefits of Vitamin C, such as antioxidant activity. Furthermore, it is even more potent in reducing skin darkening after UV exposure. It even has some additional effects, not observed in pure Ascorbic Acid, such as promoting nerve cell growth or reducing chemotherapy damage. Finally, the slower release also ensures that no toxic effects are observed when using this Vitamin C derivative.3-O-Ethyl-L-Ascorbic Acid
3- O -ethyl ascorbic acid may be a good whitening ingredient in cosmetics. However, before it can be successfully used in cosmetics, its biofunctionality and stability need to be comprehensively investigated. The reduction and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging ability of this compound were analyzed to assess its antioxidant potential. In addition, the tyrosinase inhibitory ability was analyzed to show the whitening capacity of 3- O -ethyl ascorbic acid. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimal conditions for the ascorbic acid derivative in cosmetics. Based on the DPPH radical scavenging ability results, the half-inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) value of 3- O -ethyl ascorbic acid was 0.032 g\/L. It also showed a good reducing ability at 1.5 g\/L concentration. Based on the tyrosinase inhibition analysis, the IC 50 value was 7.5 g\/L. The optimal conditions to achieve the best stability were determined from the RSM as 36.3°C and pH 5.46.
Beneficial effects of chrysin on the reproductive system of adult male rats
Chrysin
treated male albino rats had significantly higher sperm count,
fertility rate and litter size when they were permitted to mate with
proven proestrous female rats[26]. These promoting effects of Chrysin
was confirmed by Ciftci et al.[27]report in which testis antioxidant
enzyme levels such as SOD, CAT and GSH-Px along with GSH were
significantly improved following Chrysin administration. Higher sperm
count and motility along with lower abnormality percentage were also
recorded in their study. …
… Higher sperm count and motility along with lower abnormality
percentage were also recorded in their study. Beside antioxidant effect,
both in vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed Chrysin potential for
enhancing testosterone level and subsequently male sex drive[23,27].
According to the broad range of pharmacological activities of Chrysin
and considering the fact that information on feeding this flavonoid to
birds is lacking in literature. …
… In the light of obtained results, Chrysin successfully improved total
and forward motility, plasma membrane functionality and integrity, semen
concentration and MDA level, sperm fatty acid composition, blood
testosterone as well as fertility and hatchability rates. These results
were in concert with previous studies in which oral administration of
Chrysin to male rats significantly enhanced sperm total motility and
count, blood testosterone level[27]as well as fertility and litter size
in their partners. An appropriate level of dietary n-6/n-3 fatty acid
ratio along with reduced MDA level (by feeding an antioxidant) resulted
in increase of sperm forward motility in boar.
Chrysin (on the left) and harman (right) are organic compounds with distinctly different structures, but both are found in the passionflower species Passiflora caerulea and P. incarnata.Sesamol powder
Chrysin, also called 5,7-dihydroxyflavone, was first isolated from the wood of pine trees (Pinus spp.) in 1949 by Gösta Linstedt at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm). Harman (or harmane), a pyridoindole derivative, was discovered much earlier (1861) in the bark of P. incarnata and other trees by German researcher R. Rieth.
What do chrysin and harman have in common besides occurrence in trees, specifically P. incarnata? More than 500 passionflower species have been used as traditional folk remedies for anxiety and other medical conditions almost everywhere that they grow on Earth. For at least 20 years, drug researchers have sought to elucidate mechanisms by which passionflower biochemicals provide relief.
In a key 2001 study, P. incarnata extract was compared with oxazepam, an early benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug, for efficacy against generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Shaheen Akhondzadeh and colleagues at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Medicinal Plants (both in Tehran, Iran) treated 36 patients diagnosed with GAD with P. incarnata extract, oxazepam, or placebo in a 4-week trial.
The extract and the drug gave equally positive results. Oxazepam acted more rapidly, but it also impaired the subjects’ job performance whereas the extract did not. In the time since this report was issued, however, there is no record of US Food and Drug Administration filings for chrysin, harman, or passionflower extracts.
This discussion of anxiety remedies reminds us that today is the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Two centrosymmetrically related cations, joined through C(phenyl)-H em leader pi contacts, encapsulate a large void that contains pairs of anions and bridged water molecules into a zero-dimensional (0D) supramolecular motif. The cations are linked to this framework via N(+)H em leader Cl(-) contacts. GIAO/B3LYP calculations have been carried out to compare the experimental (13)C chemical shifts with the absolute shieldings thus calculated. The protonation of both molecules takes place on the piperidine ring (axial protonation), as has been verified both in the solid state (X-ray) and in solution (NMR).
Tomato hot pot sauce (THPS) at different storage temperatures (0, 25, and 37°C) and with two kinds of packaging for 120 days was investigated in this study. High performance liquid chromatography was employed for detecting lycopene and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The changes of lycopene and HMF during storage were regressed with kinetic equation of both zero-order and first-order models, and the latter fitted better. The kinetic equation constant ( value) of lycopene or HMF at 37°C was higher than that at 25°C. The value of lycopene of PET/PE (P1) packaged THPS was 1.60 times of that of PET/Al/EAA/PE (P2) packaged at 37°C, while it was 2.12 times at 25°C. The value of HMF of P1 packaged THPS was 1.69 times of that of P2 packaged at 37°C, while it was 1.01 times at 25°C. Significant correlations between color index of , , and and lycopene or HMF were found at storage temperature. Browning color was attributed to both Maillard reaction and degradation of lycopene. In conclusion, lower storage temperature and stronger oxygen barrier property of package could maintain color stability and extend shelf life.Lycopene powder
1. Introduction
Hot pot is one of the most popular Chinese foods in China and has spread all over the world since it is very easy to keep its authentic taste. The core of hot pot taste is the hot pot sauce, which is used to prepare the base soup of hot pot. In the last decade, hot pot sauce has been upgraded from handmade in small kitchen to industrialized central kitchens which are equipped with large sauce cooking bowl up to 1000 kg/batch. This upgrade not only benefits the hot pot restaurants to uniform the recipe and increase the kitchen efficiency, but also provides consumers with alternative choice to cook top-taste hot pot in their own home. Tomato hot pot sauce (THPS) is made from tomato paste, soybean oil, tomato, onion, ginger, and other seasonings and could be classified as vegetable-based semisolid seasoning. Because of its unique soup color, sour taste, and nutritional value, THPS is growing popular among consumers. The sales of THPS also increase rapidly in supermarkets and wholesale market place; thus it becomes a favored product category by food companies and chain restaurant with central kitchen. But the long time storage on shelf (usually 6–12 months) could lead to unfavorable quality changes such as nutrients degradation or browning color, which might be taken as unsuitable for consumption [1″>.
There are many studies on the color changes of tomato paste [1″>, tomato juice [2″>, tomato powder [3″>, and tomato sauce [4″> during processing and storage. But the color change of THPS during processing and storage remains unclear, and the mechanism behind the color change needs further investigation. Maillard reaction and the ascorbic acid oxidation might be two reasons that contribute to the color change of tomato product during the long-term storage [3″>. Lycopene is not only an important characteristic component, but also the major coloring ingredient of tomato and tomato products. Thus lycopene has been a hot topic among the researches on the color changes of tomato products [5″>, although the changes of amino acid content or reducing sugar are also related to the quality change in storage.
In this study, the quality of THPS was investigated to explore the
mechanism of color change during storage. The contents changes of
lycopene and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were tracked under different
packaging and storage conditions. It is helpful to guide the
optimization of packaging and storage conditions of THPS, so as to
improve the shelf life of the products and meet the market demand.
2.1. Chemicals
Standard lycopene and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Co. (United States). Ethanol and acetonitrile of HPLC grade were purchased from Fluka Chemical Co. (Germany). Pyrogallic acid, potassium ferrocyanide, zinc sulphate, and other reagents were of analytical grade.
2.2. Tomato Hot Pot Sauce and Preparation
Tomato paste (cold break) was purchased from COFCO Tunhe Co., Ltd. (China). Other food materials were purchased from local market.
The THPS was prepared according to the following procedures. Firstly, the samples were weighed and waited for further cooking, including tomato paste (cold break, 28.5 Brix°) 40%, soybean oil 25%, sucrose 14%, fresh onion 10%, pickle ginger 4%, chicken essence 3%, salt 2.5%, soy sauce 1%, citric acid 0.25%, and dry spice mixture (cinnamon, amomum tsao-ko, clove, aniseed, fennel, white cardamom, bay leaf, dried orange peel, and Chinese red pepper, with equal weight) 0.25%. Secondly, as shown in Figure 1, the soybean oil was heated up to 160°C, followed by adding compound spice, pickle ginger, and onion and stirring for 3 min. Thirdly, the tomato paste was added and the sample was kept at the intermittent boiling state for 20 min by gentle heat. Fourthly, sucrose, citric acid, and salt were added and stirred for 6 min. Fifthly, soy sauce was added together with chicken essence with one-minute stirring. Finally the samples were cooled down to 80°C and packaged into 200 g per bag.
Men who eat plenty of tomato products, especially tomato sauce-laden
foods, have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Why? So far, the search for
the tomato’s “active ingredient” has homed in on lycopene, the molecule
that gives tomatoes their red color. “Lycopene accumulates in the
prostate. That’s its favorite place to hang out,” explains Holly Hantz,
an undergraduate who is doing research on lycopene’s effects. In one of
the few cases of processed foods trumping fresh-picked, research
suggests that cooking tomatoes, even briefly, releases the lycopene and
makes it easier for the body to absorb.Lycopene powder
Lycopene, the molecule that gives tomatoes their red color, may also be responsible for decreasingthe risk of prostate cancer.
Hantz’s adviser, assistant professor of nutrition Keith Martin, points
out that “data show that high intakes of tomato-based foods
significantly decrease the incidence of prostate cancer. However,
whether lycopene alone is beneficial compared to tomatoes or tomato
powder is inconclusive.” How can we determine whether lycopene is
responsible for the anti-cancer properties of tomatoes? “A convincing
experiment,” says Martin, “is to get some cancer cells, culture them on a
dish, deliver some pure lycopene or tomato extract, and see if the
cells live or die.”
Hantz decided to do just that. She exposed fully developed human prostate cancer cells to lycopene in doses equivalent to the levels present the bloodstream of people who eat two-to- three servings of vegetables daily. The cells showed depressed mitochondrial metabolism within 20 hours, followed by apoptosis, or “orderly cell death.” When the lycopene level was raised to the equivalent of five-to-ten servings a day the effect was even more potent. In contrast, cancer cells that received no lycopene maintained the strong metabolism needed for rapid growth and showed no signs of apoptosis. This experiment provided substantial evidence that lycopene itself was a factor in inducing cancer cells to call it quits. Martin concluded, “It appears that lycopene alone can kill cancer cells by inducing programmed death without necessarily affecting cell division.”
“In a nutshell, there are numerous benefits to understanding the mechanism of lycopene’s protective effect,” Martin explains. “Lycopene is a really long molecule that goes into the cell membrane, and that’s where many of your receptors are for cell survival and growth. Right now, we are running tests to see which genes are being affected by the lycopene in these cells. If we can find out which signals are affected by lycopene to kill cancer cells, then more effective drugs or nutritional intervention strategies can be designed based on this information.
According to a new study from the People’s Republic of China, regular adequate intakes of lycopene may significantly decrease blood pressure, particularly among Asians or patients with moderately elevated blood pressure.lycopene dosage
The meta-analysis included six intervention trials investigating the effect of daily lycopene supplementation (a mean dosage of 12.4 mg/day for a mean duration of 8.3 weeks) on blood pressure (1). The study results showed a significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP) by an average of 5 mmHg in participants who used lycopene supplements, compared to the placebo group. A dose of more than 12 mg lycopene per day reduced SBP more significantly than lower doses, especially for participants with moderately elevated blood pressure (SBP above 120 mmHg) or Asian participants. The lycopene interventions showed no statistically significant effect on diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
The researchers commented that these findings confirm earlier study results reporting the important role of lycopene in lowering systolic blood pressure. Considering the uncomfortable side effects of antihypertensive drugs and the fact that many hypertensive patients need more than two kinds of drugs per day, the alter- native of a dietary intervention has been suggested. Increasing evidence indicates that dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables decreases blood pressure, which is often ascribed to natural antioxidants, such as lycopene, which improve vascular function (2). Lycopene, one of the most powerful antioxidants, has receiv- ed attention for its pivotal role in inhibiting oxidative stress, improving vascular function, and preventing cardiovascular disease in humans (3). Several studies demonstrated that at least four weeks of daily oral supplementation with lycopene-rich tomato extract or tomato juice significantly decreased blood pressure; others showed no relation.
Foods rich in the antioxidant lycopene, like tomato juice and paste—may reduce the risk of certain cancers and have heart-health benefits, and preliminary studies suggest that lycopene supplements may also be helpful. But do lycopene supplements on the market contain what they claim, and if so, which products provide the best quality and value?
To find out, ConsumerLab recently purchased and tested and reviewed popular lycopene supplements sold in the U.S. The tests revealed that one product contained just 59% of the lycopene claimed on the label. The cost for a 10 mg dose of lycopene from products varied widely, from just 7 cents to as much as 58 cents. lycopene dosage
Among products found to contain their claimed amounts of lycopene, ConsumerLab selected one that provided high-quality lycopene at a good dose and cost as its Top Pick.
The results are available online now in ConsumerLab’s new Lycopene Supplements Review, which includes test results and comparisons. Products covered in the report are: 21st Century Maximum Strength Lycopene, Douglas Laboratories Lycopene, GNC Lycopene 15 mg, Healthy Origins Natural Lyc-O-Mato Tomato Lycopene Complex, Jarrow Formulas Lyco-Sorb Lycopene, NOW Lycopene 10 mg, Puritan’s Pride Lycopene, Source Naturals Lycopene, Spring Valley (Walmart) Lycopene, Swanson Lycopene and Vitacost Root2 Lycopene. Eight of the products were selected for testing by ConsumerLab and three others underwent the same testing through CL’s voluntary Quality Certification Program. The review also summarizes the clinical evidence for lycopene for heart health, cancer prevention, prostate disease, skin health, and other conditions. In addition, it provides information about lycopene dosage and potential side effects, natural and synthetic forms of lycopene, how to get lycopene from foods, and how to maximize absorption of lycopene.
In the fight against cancer, there is a surprising tool in the arsenal: the food we eat. That’s because some nutrients in food have been found to play a role in preventing cancer, and it’s relevant because the World Cancer Research Fund reports that 30 to 50 percent of cancer cases are preventable, putting a focus on stopping cancer from developing in the first place.Lycopene
Xiang-Dong Wang, a senior scientist and associate director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Research Center on Aging at Tufts, studies how food can help prevent cancer development, particularly lung, liver, and colon cancer.
Although the rate of most cancers is dropping, there is increasing concern about the rise in both incidence and death rate of liver cancer in the United States, partially due to the parallel rise in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and diabetes.
One food of interest is tomatoes and tomato products rich in lycopene, a naturally occurring pigment that gives many fruits and vegetables their reddish hue.
In a research study recently published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, Wang’s Nutrition and Cancer Biology lab examined the cancer preventive effects of tomatoes as a whole food rich in lycopene. In infancy, mice were infected with a liver carcinogen and then fed an unhealthy high fat diet, akin to a Western diet, with or without tomato powder containing lycopene.
Researchers then evaluated how well the tomato powder protected mice
against inflammation and cancer. In humans, the equivalent
supplementation amounts to eating two to three tomatoes a day or a
serving of tomato sauce over pasta.
What do we know about lycopene?
The richest source of lycopene is from tomatoes. Other foods, including guava, watermelon, grapefruit, papaya, and sweet red pepper also contain lycopene, but in much lower concentrations compared to tomatoes. Eating tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato sauce rich in lycopene is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and certain cancers, including prostate, lung, breast, and colon cancer.
Although these associations come from observational studies, many laboratory studies have demonstrated that lycopene is a strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent.
How can we maximize the benefits of lycopene?
Consuming whole foods, like tomatoes and processed tomatoes from sauces, tomato paste, canned whole tomato products, ketchup and juice, provides the best source of lycopene. Cooking tomatoes and adding a small amount of fat, like olive oil, can help improve lycopene absorption.