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|Section2= |Section3= }} Lycopene from the neo-Latin ''lycopersicum'', the tomato species, is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, gac, and papayas, although not in strawberries, or cherries.〔 Although lycopene is chemically a carotene, it has no vitamin A activity.〔(Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Role of Antioxidant Lycopene in Cancer and Heart Disease )〕 Foods that are not red may also contain lycopene, such as asparagus or parsley. In plants, algae, and other photosynthetic organisms, lycopene is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of many carotenoids, including beta carotene, which is responsible for yellow, orange, or red pigmentation, photosynthesis, and photo-protection. Like all carotenoids, lycopene is a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon, i.e. an unsubstituted alkene. Structurally, lycopene is a tetraterpene and assembled from eight isoprene units that are composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen. It is insoluble in water. Lycopene's eleven conjugated double bonds give its deep red color and its antioxidant activity. Owing to the strong color and non-toxicity, lycopene is a useful food coloring (registered as E160d) and is approved for usage in the USA,〔21 CFR 73.585〕 Australia and New Zealand (registered as 160d)〔Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code(【引用サイトリンク】title=Standard 1.2.4 - Labelling of ingredients )〕 and the EU.〔UK Food Standards Agency: (【引用サイトリンク】title=Current EU approved additives and their E Numbers )〕 ==Consumption by humans== Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes.〔 When absorbed from the intestine, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates primarily in the blood, adipose tissue, skin, liver, and adrenal glands, but can be found in most tissues. Although preliminary research is examining whether lycopene can affect mechanisms of cancer,〔 this area of research and the relationship between lycopene and any type of cancer are inconclusive to gain health-claim approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=US Food and Drug Administration )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lycopene」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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