Lycopen, 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 "lycopen". 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.
Oherwydd ei swyddogaethau ffisiolegol uwchraddol, mae'n arwyddocaol iawn ar gyfer atal clefydau cardiofasgwlaidd, arteriosclerosis a chlefydau oedolion eraill, gwella'r system imiwnedd ddynol a gohirio heneiddio, felly mae'n pigment naturiol swyddogaethol newydd addawol.
Ar y naill law, mae'n oherwydd ei effaith gwrthocsidiol; ar y llaw arall, a all rwystro proses treiglo genynnau celloedd meinwe o dan weithred mwtagenau allanol, sef un o fecanweithiau pwysig tumorigenesis.
Mae arbrofion wedi canfod y gall effeithio ar gyfnod S celloedd canser y fron, yr ysgyfaint a chanser y groth; mae'n effeithio ar dwf celloedd trwy atal cam trawsnewid Gl i S y gylchred gell; gall atal ocsidiad colesterol LDL. Gall atal cynhyrchu carcinogenau yn effeithiol a chymell tiwmorau trwy ffurfio aminau heterocyclic a gynhyrchir yn adwaith brownio cig a physgod wedi'u grilio. Mae astudiaethau wedi dangos hynnylycopenyn cael effaith ataliol benodol ar ganser y llwybr treulio, canser ceg y groth, canser y fron, canser y croen, canser y bledren, ac ati.
