Dietary tomato paste protects against ultraviolet light-induced erythema in humans

Carotenoids are efficient antioxidants capable of scavenging reactive oxyge n species generated under conditions of photooxidative stress. It has been shown that supplementation with high doses of p-carotene protects skin agai nst UV-induced erythema. This study was designed to investigate whether int ervention with a natural dietary source rich in lycopene protects against U V-induced erythema in humans. Tomato paste (40 g), providing similar to 16 mg/d of lycopene, was ingested with 10 g of olive oil over a period of 10 w k by 9 volunteers. Controls (n = 10) received olive oil only. Erythema was induced by illumination of dorsal skin (scapular region) with a solar simul ator at the beginning of the study, after 4 wk and after 10 wk. Intensity o f erythema was measured by chromatometry; the a-value was determined direct ly before and 24 h after irradiation. Serum carotenoid levels were measured by HPLC. At the beginning of the study, carotenoid levels did not differ b etween the two groups. Serum levels of lycopene increased in supplemented s ubjects; the other carotenoids did not change significantly, and no change in serum carotenoids was observed in the control group. At wk 10, dorsal er ythema formation was 40% lower in the group that consumed tomato paste comp ared with controls (P = 0.02; Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test). No significant d ifference between groups was found at wk 4 of treatment. The data demonstra te that it is feasible to achieve protection against UV light-induced eryth ema by ingestion of a commonly consumed dietary source of lycopene.