Lycopene and kidney; future potential application

Introduction Lycopene (C40H56), as a unsaturated red-pigmented linear carotenoid, has a molecular weight of 536.85 Da, and 11 conjugated and 2 non-conjugated double bonds; it is lipophilic and therefore more soluble in organic solvents (1-3). Lycopene is a lipid-soluble antioxidant and has been inversely associated with lipid peroxidation, comprising low-density lipoprotein oxidation and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, lycopene can be considered as the most predominant carotenoid in plasma of human (4). Moreover, it is a carotenoid that is naturally found in tomatoes which acts as an antioxidant (5) and a potential chemo-preventive agent (6) with a singlet-oxygen and free radical scavenging capacity (7). A half-life of about 2–3 days can be considered for it when consumed. There is no official recommended amount for the daily intake of lycopene (8,9). Tomatoes could provide almost 85% of the lycopene in the diet as well as watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, and rosehip (10). Lycopene is one of more than 600 carotenoids were found in the nature with a variety of biological activities such as aging prevention, cancer prevention, anti‐inflammation, and oxidative (11). It contains a high level of antioxidant to help preventing different kinds of oxidative damages in tissues and cells. Lycopene has indeed received special attention due to the fact that it is a highly efficient antioxidant as well as having the function of singlet‐oxygen and free radical scavenging (6,12,13). Thus, lycopene, as a bioactive compound, may help prevention of chronic disease (14). Although lycopene is a potent antioxidant in vitro; however, its role in human health might be because of its bioactive metabolites. It has been suggested that many noncommunicable and chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and eye diseases are the result of long standing oxidative stress. Antioxidants such as vitamin E, lycopene and tocopherols, may have an important role to play in protection against oxidative damage. Lycopene, as an effective antioxidant and a free radical scavenger has been demonstrated by several studies. Research has suggested that lycopene could reduce lipid peroxidation and atherogenesis in hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure (15,16). In fact, increased production of oxidative stress markers and decreased concentrations of antioxidants could define oxidative stress resulting from cisplatin (17,18).