Description
Lycopene is a carotene found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables; it is occasionally used as a pigment dye. Lycopene exhibits cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antioxidative, and anticancer activity. Lycopene activates retinoic acid receptors (RARs) but does not exhibit significant vitamin A activity. In cardiomyocytes, lycopene inhibits hypertrophy and Akt/GSK-3β signaling and increases expression of PTEN. In breast cancer cells, this compound induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and decreases cellular viability. Additionally, lycopene decreases levels of malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase and increases levels of catalase in animal models of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion.