Ingestion of Lycosome L-tug Formulation of Dark Chocolate Ameliorates Postprandial Hyperlipidemia and Hyperglycemia in Healthy Volunteers.

Twenty-eight healthy middle-aged volunteers (40-60 years old) with equal gender representation were randomized into 3 study groups to investigate the changes in postprandial glucose and lipids after ingestion of different formulations of dark chocolate (DC). The volunteers from the first group were requested to ingest 100 g of regular DC whereas the individuals from the third group were given 100 g of highly bioavailable lycosome formulated L-tug formulation of DC containing 23.3 mg of lycopene. A second group received a 23.3 mg lycopene capsule, a tomato-derived antioxidant carotenoid as a matching control. Serum specimens were obtained following 30 minutes as well as 1, 2, and 3 hours after study products intake. Ingestion of L-tug DC was accompanied by the reduced postprandial hyperglycemia with maximum difference seen at 3rd hour of the study and reduction of average AUCGluc values by 20% (P<0.05) as compared to regular DC. Moreover, ingestion of L-tug DC was accompanied by a statistically significantly reduced median concentration for postprandial triglycerides (to 390.7 mg⁎hr/dL; 5/95%% CIs: 363.2/405.7 versus regular DC value of 439.5mg⁎hr/dL and a lower range of confidence intervals - 5/95%CIs: 394.0/475.1). A similar tendency was observed in changes of total cholesterol concentration. Ingestion of L-tug DC completely abolished total cholesterol increase seen in volunteers at 3rd hour of postprandial period following intake of the control DC. Ingestion of lycopene alone did not cause any changes in postprandial changes of glucose or serum lipids. The observed postprandial changes can be related to the 56.2 % increase in serum lycopene level which was observed after ingestion of L-tug DC only. Higher serum lycopene levels following the ingestion of L-tug DC resulted in a corresponding increase in serum antioxidant capacity and reduction of oxidized LDL as well as a decline in malonic dialdehyde concentration in the serum of volunteers.

Systemic and skin-targeting beneficial effects of lycopene-enriched ice cream: A pilot study.

The health-promoting dietary antioxidant lycopene has limited natural bioavailability, but lycopene-rich functional foods can improve its bioavailability. We assessed a new lycopene-enriched ice cream for systemic antioxidant effects and influence on morphological characteristics of facial skin surface in healthy volunteers. In a randomized crossover study, we used 4-wk dietary interventions with either control or lycopene-enriched ice cream. Samples of serum and residual skin surface components (RSSC) from facial skin were taken before interventions, at 2 wk, and at intervention end. Lycopene concentration, conventional blood biochemistry, and oxidative stress biomarkers comprising inflammatory oxidative damage and low-density lipoprotein peroxidase proteins were assessed in the serum. Lycopene-associated immunofluorescence, lipid droplet size, corneocyte desquamation, and microbial presence were measured in the RSSC. The results show that lycopene concentrations in the serum and skin steadily increased during lycopene-enriched ice cream consumption. Whereas we found no intervention-dependent changes in conventional biochemical parameters, both inflammatory oxidative damage and low-density lipoprotein peroxidase protein values significantly decreased by the end of intervention with lycopene-enriched ice cream, but remained unchanged during control ice cream consumption. Control ice cream significantly increased corneocyte desquamation and bacterial presence in the RSSC. These adverse effects, which could potentially predispose consumers to acne development, were absent when volunteers consumed lycopene-enriched ice cream. We concluded that lycopene-enriched ice cream is a new functional food with clear antioxidant properties. In addition, enrichment with lycopene may alleviate proinflammatory action of ice cream at the level of facial skin, thus decreasing diet-associated acne development risk in young consumers.

Generation and Application of Monoclonal Antibody Against Lycopene.

A monoclonal antibody (Mab) against lycopene was developed from hybridoma clones obtained from BALB/c mice immunized with trans-isomer of lycopene (t-lycopene, t-LC) conjugated with colloidal gold particles. An alternating immunization schedule which included injection of both formulations of immunogen (without and with Freund's adjuvant) was most effective in the elucidation of a measurable immune response to the t-Lycopene conjugate. Selected hybridoma clones were able to produce an Mab positive in competition assay. In particular, preincubation of 6B9 Mabs with t-LC abolished the ability of 6B9 Mabs to bind LC in the competition assay. Mabs produced by other clones (4F10, 4A3, and 3B12) worked similarly. Analysis of antigen specificity showed that 6B9 Mab raised against t-LC did not recognize other carotenoids such as lutein and carotene. Mab 6B9 was shown to recognize lycopene on a glass surface and in the settings of indirect immunofluorescence experiments performed in cultured hepatocytes and alveolar macrophages incubated with and without lycopene, as well as in sebum and corneocyte specimens from the skin of volunteers supplemented with nutraceutical formulation of lycopene. Newly generated Mabs against lycopene may provide a valuable tool for different analytical assays of lycopene content in various biological, agricultural, and food products.