An Overview of Properties and Analytical Methods for Lycopene in Organic Nanocarriers

Waste and by-products as sources of lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene - Integrative review with bibliometric analysis

Food loss and waste are severe social, economic, and environmental issues. An example is the incorrect handling of waste or by-products used to obtain bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids. This review aimed to present a comprehensive overview of research on lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene obtained from waste and by-products. In this study, an integrative literature approach was coupled with bibliometric analysis to provide a broad perspective of the topic. PRISMA guidelines were used to search studies in the Web of Science database systematically. Articles were included if (1) employed waste or by-products to obtain lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene or (2) performed applications of the carotenoids previously extracted from waste sources. Two hundred and four articles were included in the study, and the prevalent theme was research on the recovery of lycopene from tomato processing. However, the scarcity of studies on colorless carotenoids (phytoene and phytofluene) was evidenced, although these are generally associated with lycopene. Different technologies were used to extract lycopene from plant matrices, with a clear current trend toward choosing environmentally friendly alternatives. Microbial production of carotenoids from various wastes is a highly competitive alternative to conventional processes. The results described here can guide future forays into the subject, especially regarding research on phytoene and phytofluene, potential and untapped sources of carotenoids from waste and by-products, and in choosing more efficient, safe, and environmentally sustainable extraction protocols.

Lycopene, Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Their Association: A Possible Alternative against Vulvovaginal Candidiasis?

Commonly found colonizing the human microbiota, Candida albicans is a microorganism known for its ability to cause infections, mainly in the vulvovaginal region known as vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). This pathology is, in fact, one of the main C. albicans clinical manifestations, changing from a colonizer to a pathogen. The increase in VVC cases and limited antifungal therapy make C. albicans an increasingly frequent risk in women's lives, especially in immunocompromised patients, pregnant women and the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic options, especially those involving natural products associated with nanotechnology, such as lycopene and mesoporous silica nanoparticles. From this perspective, this study sought to assess whether lycopene, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and their combination would be an attractive product for the treatment of this serious disease through microbiological in vitro tests and acute toxicity tests in an alternative in vivo model of Galleria mellonella. Although they did not show desirable antifungal activity for VVC therapy, the present study strongly encourages the use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles impregnated with lycopene for the treatment of other human pathologies, since the products evaluated here did not show toxicity in the in vivo test performed, being therefore, a topic to be further explored.

Role of Toll-like Receptor/MyD88 Signaling in Lycopene Alleviated Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP)-Induced Inflammatory Response

Lycopene (Lyc) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biological functions. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an extremely harmful and persistent environmental pollutant and is a threat to animal health. The toll-like receptor (TLR)/MyD88 pathway is an important pathway in the inflammatory response. To illustrate the potential antagonistic action of Lyc against DEHP by the TLR/MyD88 pathway, 140 ICR mice were randomly assigned groups and continuously gavaged with corn oil, distilled water, different DEHP concentrations (500 or 1000 mg/kg BW/day), and/or Lyc (5 mg/kg BW/day) for 28 days. The data show that Lyc effectively attenuates the DEHP-induced activation of the TLR/MyD88 pathway, the upregulation of JNK expression, the content of IL-6 and TNF-α, and the downregulation of the IL-10 content, which eventually inhibit the inflammatory response and mitochondrial injuries. These findings underline the TLR/MyD88 pathway as a potential therapeutic target in DEHP and Lyc as a new therapeutic method to inhibit DEHP toxicity.

Lycopene regulates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response to prevent DEHP-induced cardiac mitochondrial damage in mice

Lycopene (LYC), as a kind of carotene, has antioxidant effects. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was used to improve the flexibility of plastics. However, the potential role of LYC in DEHP induced cardiac injury in mice remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of LYC in DEHP induced cardiac injury. Male ICR mice were treated with DEHP (500 or 1000 mg per kg BW per day) and/or LYC (5 mg per kg BW per day) for 28 days. The results of histopathology and ultrastructure showed that LYC relieved the decrease of mitochondrial volume density and myocardial fibre disorder induced by DEHP. Subsequently, LYC attenuated DEHP-induced mitochondrial damage, mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt) activation, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mediated oxidative stress and heat shock response (HSR) activation induced by DEHP. LYC regulates UPR^mt to prevent DEHP-induced cardiac mitochondrial damage. Thus, this study provided new evidence of UPR^mt as a target for LYC treatment preventing DEHP-induced cardiac disease.

Lycopene in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of human mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation are pathophysiological processes involved in the development of CVD. That is why bioactive food ingredients, including lycopene, are so important in their prevention, which seems to be a compound increasingly promoted in the diet of people with cardiovascular problems. Lycopene present in tomatoes and tomato products is responsible not only for their red color but also for health-promoting properties. It is characterized by a high antioxidant potential, the highest among carotenoid pigments. Mainly for this reason, epidemiological studies show a number of favorable properties between the consumption of lycopene in the diet and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. While there is also some controversy in research into its protective effects on the cardiovascular system, growing evidence supports its beneficial role for the heart, endothelium, blood vessels, and health. The mechanisms of action of lycopene are now being discovered and may explain some of the contradictions observed in the literature. This review aims to present the current knowledge in recent years on the preventive role of lycopene cardiovascular disorders.

Organic Nanocarriers for Bevacizumab Delivery: An Overview of Development, Characterization and Applications

Bevacizumab (BCZ) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against the vascular endothelial growth factor, which is involved in the angiogenesis process. Pathologic angiogenesis is observed in several diseases including ophthalmic disorders and cancer. The multiple administrations of BCZ can cause adverse effects. In this way, the development of controlled release systems for BCZ delivery can promote the modification of drug pharmacokinetics and, consequently, decrease the dose, toxicity, and cost due to improved efficacy. This review highlights BCZ formulated in organic nanoparticles providing an overview of the physicochemical characterization and in vitro and in vivo biological evaluations. Moreover, the main advantages and limitations of the different approaches are discussed. Despite difficulties in working with antibodies, those nanocarriers provided advantages in BCZ protection against degradation guaranteeing bioactivity maintenance.

Lycopene antagonizes lead toxicity by reducing mitochondrial oxidative damage and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in cultured hippocampal neurons

Lead (Pb) exhibits serious adverse effects on the central nervous system, and the major pathogenic mechanism of Pb toxicity is oxidative stress. As one of the carotenoid family members with potent antioxidant properties, lycopene has shown its protections by inhibiting oxidative stress damage in numerous models of neurotoxicity. The current study was designed to explore the possible protective property in primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons challenged with Pb. We observed that 5 μM lycopene pretreatment for 4 h efficiently ameliorated Pb‐caused damage in cell viability, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner. Moreover, lycopene (5 μM) attenuated the 50 μM Pb‐induced mitochondrial ROS production, improved the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes and ATP production, and ameliorated the 50 μM Pb‐induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores. In addition, 5 μM lycopene restored the imbalance of Bax/Bcl‐2, inhibited translocation of cytochrome c, and reduced caspase‐3 activation. Taken together, these findings indicate that lycopene antagonizes against Pb‐induced neurotoxicity and the underlying mechanism probably involves reduction of mitochondrial oxidative damage and mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis.