Tomato powder is more protective than lycopene supplement against lipid peroxidation in rats

The hypothesis that tomato powder (TP) is more protective than lycopene-beadlet (LB) treatment in rats fed with or without H2O2 was tested by comparing their beneficial effects on serum and hepatic lipids, peroxidation product (malondialdehyde [MDA]), and serum lipoproteins. In groups receiving no H2O2, TP and LB similarly lowered MDA, a major lipid peroxidation product, moderately in the serum but markedly in the liver, more than their respective controls. Hydrogen peroxide consumption elevated liver and serum MDA levels similarly among all treatments, but induced no increase in serum MDA for the TP group, which indicated a stronger protection against lipid peroxidation by TP than by LB treatment. Although the TP and LB diets provided equal amounts of lycopene, serum, and liver lycopene levels for treatments with or without H2O2, they were markedly elevated in TP but still higher in LB group than controls. This indicated a greater lycopene bioavailability in LB than TP. Importantly, TP and LB treatments with or without H2O2 consumption lowered serum total cholesterol and triglycerides by one fifth, as well as decreased serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by more than one third of their respective levels in controls. Similarly, liver total cholesterol was markedly lowered (>1/3) by TP or LB treatment, but liver triglycerides were lowered to one fourth by only TP treatment, of the levels in their respective controls. Thus, TP appeared to be more protective because of its additional ability to prevent the H2O2-induced rise in serum MDA and seemed to lower liver triglycerides more than LB treatment.