# Lycopene: A Natural Arsenal in the War against Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Diseases
## 5 Lycopene in Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline
**Diseases** & **Issue** & **Dose of Lycopene** & **Subjected Time** & **Role/Activity of Lycopene** & **References** \\ \hline Age-related & & & & \\ macular & 4 mg/kg/day & 10 weeks & Lycopene is capable to quench & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{degeneration} & & & & singlet oxygen in the eye. & \\  & & & & Enhanced antioxidant & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Diabetes} & & & enzymes, suppresses RAGE & \\  & & & & expression, increased NF-B & \\  & & & & expression. & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Infertility} & \multirow{4}{*}{4–8 mg} & \multirow{4}{*}{3–12 months} & Boosted antioxidants, reduced & \\  & & & lipid peroxidation, decreased & \\  & & & DNA damage in spermatozoa. & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Neurobehavioral} & & & Increased cognition, increased & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{deficits and} & \multirow{4}{*}{10 mg/kg} & \multirow{4}{*}{15 days} & brain’s antioxidant, nitric & \\  & & & oxide pathways are inhibited. & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{goorer} & & & Reduced mitochondrial & \\  & & & dysfunction, reduced & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Alzheimer} & \multirow{4}{*}{30 mg} & \multirow{4}{*}{5 weeks} & inflammation cytokine. & \\  & & & Induction of ROS and & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{disease} & \multirow{4}{*}{mg/kg/day} & & neurobehavioral deficits. & \\  & & & Regulation of metabolism, & \\ \multirow{4}{*}{Bone diseases} & \multirow{4}{*}{50 mg/kg/day} & \multirow{4}{*}{10 weeks} & osteoclast differentiation, & \\  & & & osteoblasts upregulation. & \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: _Cont._molecules with the potential to inhibit or reduce the production or interaction of AGEs and RAGEs have a great significance in current biomedical research. According to research reports, lycopene can reduce the production of AGE and RAGE, which aids in vessel protection [6; 137; 169]. The use of lycopene can promote the function of endothelial cells, as indicated by preclinical studies. Lycopene has the ability to improve the NO bioavailability, endothelium-regulated vasodilation [170], reduce the damage to proteins, DNA, and lipids, and improve mitochondrial functioning, through its antioxidant activity [171]. Lycopene supplementation boosted mitochondrial gene expression and lowered mitochondrial dysfunction [6; 172]. Lycopene and tomato products were found to decrease the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in clinical investigations [173; 174; 175]. In healthy postmenopausal women, lycopene supplementation can decrease total and LDL cholesterol [176]. In rats given lycopene supplements [177], HDL was increased significantly and LDL, triglycerides, and total cholesterol were decreased. A significant decrease in TG in lycopene-supplemented hamsters [178] and a reduction in oxidized LDL in lycopene-supplemented rats have also been reported [179]. IMT is a well-established biomarker of arterial structural change [180], and it has been associated to the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, notably in the carotid artery [181]. The thickness of the intima-media is inversely linked to serum lycopene levels [182]. The combination of lutein and lycopene (20 mg each) therapy resulted in a decrease in IMT after 12 months, with the combination showing to be more helpful than lutein alone.