ARS | Publication request: LYCOPENE ISOMER CONCENTRATIONS IN BLOOD AFTER COMMON RED AND TANGERINE TOMATO-BASED CHILI TO HEALTHY ADULT HUMANS

Submitted to: American Chemical Society National Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 15, 2005
Publication Date: March 15, 2005
Citation: Burri, B.J., Ishida, B.K., Chapman, M.H., Neidlinger, T.R. Lycopene isomer concentrations in blood after common red and tangerine tomato-based chili to healthy adult humans. American Chemical Society National Meeting.

Technical Abstract: Lycopene is associated with prostate cancer prevention. We hypothesized that cis lycopene isomers are more bioavailable than the trans isomer, thus Tangerine tomatoes, which have 90% of their lycopene as a tetra-cis isomer, would be a source of highly bioavailable lycopene. We fed 24 healthy adults lunches that contained 30% fat and 300 g per day Tangerine or common red tomato sauce for one week, with one-week washout periods before and after each study period in a randomized crossover design. We collected blood at baseline and weekly thereafter. We measured tetra-cis, cis, and trans lycopene as well as other carotenoids by reversed-phase HPLC. As expected, baseline concentrations of lycopene isomers and their response to the lycopene treatments were highly variable in the subjects. Both Tangerine and common red tomatoes increased lycopene concentrations in blood, but tetra-cis concentrations were far greater than trans-lycopene concentrations, supporting our hypothesis.