Protective Effect of Lycopene on Lipid Peroxidation and Oxidative DNA Damage in Cell Culture

A high incidence of cancer has been correlated with chronic iron overload, and carotenoids are of interest as possible anticarcinogens. We have investigated the effect of lycopene on lipid peroxidation and on the formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) in CV1-P monkey cells exposed to ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) plus ascorbate. Cells supplemented with lycopene (20 pmol/106 cells) showed a reduction of 86% in Fe-NTA/ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation (TBARS). Levels of 8-oxodGuo rose from 1.59 ± 0.09 residues/106 dGuo in the control cells to 14.02 ± 0.41 residues/106 dGuo after incubation with (1:4 mM) Fe-NTA/ascorbate (40 μM). Lycopene supplementation decreased in 77% the 8-oxodGuo levels in Fe-NTA/ascorbate-treated cells. These results indicate that lycopene can protect mammalian cells against membrane and DNA damage and possibly play a protective role against tumor promotion associated with oxidative damage.