M. Porrini et al., ABSORPTION OF LYCOPENE FROM SINGLE OR DAILY PORTIONS OF RAW AND PROCESSED TOMATO, British Journal of Nutrition, 80(4), 1998, pp. 353-361
To study the relationship between lycopene intake and plasma concentra
tion, ten healthy female subjects were given one or more portions of t
omato puree or fresh raw tomato containing 16.5 mg total lycopene (all
-trans + cis forms). In Expt 1 subjects (n 9) were randomly assigned t
he single portions of the two tomato products and blood samples were c
ollected to follow the change in plasma carotenoid concentrations with
in the first 12 h and on each of the following 5 d (104 h). In Expt 2
subjects (n 10) were divided into two groups of five each receiving da
ily dietary portions of tomato puree or fresh raw tomato containing 16
.5 mg total lycopene for 7 d. Fasting blood samples were collected dai
ly. In Expt 1 the plasma total lycopene (all-trans + cis forms) concen
tration, after the single portions of tomato puree and raw tomato, var
ied significantly over time, with a first peak reached after 6 h, a fu
rther increase after 12 h and a slow decrease until 104 h. In Expt 2,
when the tomato products were given daily, there was a day-by-day incr
ease in the plasma total lycopene concentration, and through the follo
wing week of a diet without tomato there was a gradual decrease. Howev
er, values did not return to basal concentrations. Plasma total lycope
ne concentration was higher after the tomato puree intake than after t
he raw tomato in both the first (F(1,8) 7.597; P < 0.025) and the seco
nd experiments (F(1,8) 12.193; P < 0.01) demonstrating a significant e
ffect of food matrix on absorption.