Ann Short Rep | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Mini Review | Open Access
Montesano D*, Blasi F and Cossignani L
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Italy
*Correspondance to: Montesano D
Fulltext PDFCardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality and disability in Western countries. Prevention is essential to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and also to reduce the costs both of citizen and health system. In general, cardiovascular diseases are closely associated not only with problems related to oxidative stress, but also to inflammatory processes and vascular dysfunction. Lycopeneis a bioactive component mainly found in tomatoes, redfruits and vegetables, from chemical point of view. It is a hydrocarbon belonging to tetraterpene carotenoids and presents eleven conjugated double bonds that are directly responsible for the antioxidant and anti-radical properties of lycopene, especially for reactive oxygen species and nitricoxide. This compound has the highest antioxidant power among all carotenoids and its properties are correlated with many beneficial effects, including its potential cardioprotective role. Many epidemiological studies have shown an association between consumption of tomato or lycopene products and a lower risk ofCVD. In particular, several studies suggest a role of lycopene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and for this reason, this review focuses on the available evidence regarding the effects of lycopene on the cardiovascular system and on the multiple benefits from its potential use as a drug and/or nutraceutical.
Lycopene; Carotenoids; Cardiovasculardisease; Antioxidant
Montesano D, Blasi F, Cossignani L. Lycopene and Cardiovascular Disease: An Overview. Ann Short Reports. 2019;2:1033.