Mechanistic insights on lycopene usage against diabetes and associated complications.

Lycopene is a tetraterpene compound belonging to carotenoids that are widely present in tomatoes and similar products. It is known as a powerful anti-oxidant and a non-provitamin A carotenoid. Lycopene has been found to effectively improve diabetes mellitus and its complications, such as cardiac complications, disorders caused by oxidative stress, and liver and neurological disorders. Furthermore, free radicals have been shown to disrupt the action of insulin by changing the physical state of the target cell membrane, while carotenoids improve insulin secretion and function in blood sugar regulation by neutralizing free radicals. It, therefore, seems that targeted clinical studies are needed to investigate the therapeutic effect of lycopene against metabolic disorders induced by diabetes. This review aims to summarize information on the sources and potential uses of lycopene and the possible mechanisms involved in the reduction of the above diseases. Its protective effects, in terms of toxicity and safety, are also discussed. The literature sources used in this review were PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.