Likopen, 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 "likopen". 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.
Karena fungsi fisiologisnya yang unggul, sangat penting untuk mencegah penyakit kardiovaskular, arteriosklerosis dan penyakit dewasa lainnya, meningkatkan sistem kekebalan tubuh manusia dan menunda penuaan, sehingga merupakan pigmen alami fungsional baru yang menjanjikan.
Di satu sisi, itu karena efek antioksidannya; di sisi lain, yang dapat memblokir proses mutasi gen sel jaringan di bawah aksi mutagen eksternal, yang merupakan salah satu mekanisme penting tumorigenesis.
Eksperimen telah menemukan bahwa itu dapat mempengaruhi fase S sel kanker payudara, paru-paru dan rahim; itu mempengaruhi pertumbuhan sel dengan menghambat tahap transisi Gl ke S dari siklus sel; dapat menghambat oksidasi kolesterol LDL. Ini dapat secara efektif menghambat produksi karsinogen dan menginduksi tumor dengan pembentukan amina heterosiklik yang dihasilkan dalam reaksi pencoklatan daging dan ikan panggang. Studi telah menunjukkan bahwalikopenmemiliki efek penghambatan tertentu pada kanker saluran pencernaan, kanker serviks, kanker payudara, kanker kulit, kanker kandung kemih, dll.
