Lycopene - Role in Cancer Prevention

Lycopene belongs to a group of naturally-occurring pigments known as carotenoids. Carotenoids are colored compounds found in the photosynthetic pigments of fruits and vegetables which provide them their bright colors and benefit human health by playing an important role in cell function. Red fruits and vegetables, including tomato-based products are the major sources of lycopene. Oxidative stress is recognized as one of the major contributors to the increased risk of cancer and lycopene being a potent antioxidant has been found to inhibit proliferation of several types of human cancer cells, including endometrial, prostate, breast, upper aero digestive tract and lung and lycopene to have tumor suppressor activity. This review summarizes the background information about lycopene and presents the most current knowledge with respect to its role in cancer prevention.