Enhanced bioavailability of lycopene when consumed as cis-isomers from tangerine compared to red tomato juice, a randomized, cross-over clinical trial.
SCOPE
Tangerine tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are rich in tetra-cis-lycopene resulting from natural variation in carotenoid isomerase. Our objective was to compare the bioavailability of lycopene from tangerine to red tomato juice, and elucidate physical deposition forms of these isomers in tomatoes by light and electron microscopy.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Following a randomized cross-over design, subjects (n = 11, 6 M/5 F) consumed two meals delivering 10 mg lycopene from tangerine (94% cis) or red tomato juice (10% cis). Blood was sampled over 12 h and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fractions of plasma were isolated and analyzed using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS. Lycopene was crystalline in red tomato chromoplasts and globular in tangerine tomatoes. With tangerine tomato juice we observed a marked 8.5-fold increase in lycopene bioavailability compared to red tomato juice (p < 0.001). Fractional absorption was 47.70 ± 8.81% from tangerine and 4.98 ± 1.92% from red tomato juices. Large heterogeneity was observed among subjects.


CONCLUSION
Lycopene is markedly more bioavailable from tangerine than from red tomato juice, consistent with a predominance of cis-lycopene isomers and presence in chromoplasts in a lipid dissolved globular state. These results justify using tangerine tomatoes as a lycopene source in studies examining the potential health benefits of lycopene-rich foods.
['Cooperstone|Jessica L|JL|', 'Ralston|Robin A|RA|', 'Riedl|Ken M|KM|', 'Haufe|Thomas C|TC|', 'Schweiggert|Ralf M|RM|', 'King|Samantha A|SA|', 'Timmers|Cynthia D|CD|', 'Francis|David M|DM|', 'Lesinski|Gregory B|GB|', 'Clinton|Steven K|SK|', 'Schwartz|Steven J|SJ|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D001682:Biological Availability D015992:Body Mass Index D002338:Carotenoids D002784:Cholesterol D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid D002957:Citrus D018592:Cross-Over Studies D005260:Female D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices D006400:Hematocrit D006454:Hemoglobins D006801:Humans D007536:Isomerism D008074:Lipoproteins D000077276:Lycopene D018551:Lycopersicon esculentum D008297:Male D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry D014280:Triglycerides D055815:Young Adult D024321:zeta Carotene
Bioavailability Tangerine tomato Tetra-cis-lycopene Carotenoids Chromoplast