Tomato lycopene is a natural antioxidant and can alleviate hypercholesterolemia

Abstract

Lycopene of tomato wastes was extracted and determination. The level of tomato lycopene was 145.50 ppm. An aliquots of the concentrated tomato lycopene, represent 100, 200, 400 and 800 ppm; grade lycopene (200 ppm) and butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT, 200 ppm) were investigated by the 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. These compounds were administered to rats fed on hypercholestrolemic diet daily form 10 weeks by stomach tube. Serum lipid contents (total lipids, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol), oxidative biomarkers (glutathione peroxidase and malonaldhyde), the liver (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities) and kidney (uric acid, urea and creatinine) function testes were measured to assess the safety limits of the lycopene in tomato wastes. The data of the aforementioned measurements indicated that the administration of
tomato lycopene did not cause any changes in liver and kidney functions. On the contrary, rats fed on hyperchoestrolemic diet induced significant increases in the enzyme activities and the serum levels of total lipids, total cholesterol, low and high density lipoprotein and decreased levels of the glutathione peroxidase and malonaldhyde.