JCP

eISSN 2288-3657
pISSN 2288-3649

Table 2

Chemopreventive and anticarcinogenic effects of lycopene and underlying mechanisms of action

Type of cancer explored with phytochemical lycopene	Mechanism of action	Results	References
Breast cancer	Blocks NF-κB, API, STAT3 signaling. Inhibits breast tumor formation by immunological regulation of intra thymic T-cell differentiation. Inhibits β-signaling and cell cycle arrest.	Hinders the growth of breast cancer by blocking the NF-κB signaling. Shows anti-proliferative effects in MCF-7, T47D, HL-60, and HEPG2 cell lines. Prevents hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and N-nitrosodiethylamine induced DNA damage in HepG2 cells.	[7,32]
Prostate cancer	Prevents cell division in the G0-G1 cell cycle phase. Reduces carcinogen induced phosphorylation of regulatory proteins such as p53 and Rb antioncogenes. Inhibits NF-κB signaling cascade.	Papaya seed extract effectively induces apoptosis and cell death in prostate cancer cells and leukemic HL-60 cells. Lycopene’s anti-prostate cancer effects as a result that it predominantly accumulates in prostate tissue as compared to others. Decreases serum PSA levels, clinical diagnostic indicators and BPH symptoms in elderly men with BPH who were administered lycopene supplements (at doses of 15 mg/day) for six months. A higher intake of lycopene is linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer.	[7,17,31]
Colon cancer	Suppresses phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway in colon HT-29 cells. Increases phosphorylation of β-catenin genes, and the amount of nuclear cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27. Inhibits activation of retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein via phosphorylation.	Effectively inhibits the growth of colon cancer cells through suppression of the Akt signaling pathway and modulation of downstream molecules and genes. Aqueous extract of the leaves (1.25-27 mg/mL) displays a concentration-dependent anticancer effect on DLD-1, and MCF-7.	[32,33]

MCF-7, breast cancer cell line; T47D, breast cancer cell line; HL-60, acute promyelocytic leukemia; HepG2, hepatocellular carcinoma; PSA, prostate-specific antigen; BPH, benign prostatic hyperplasia; p53, tumor protein 53; Rb, retinoblastoma protein; HT-29, colon adenocarcinoma; p27, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B; Akt, protein kinase B; DLD-1, colon cancer cell line.

J Cancer Prev 2024;29:58~68 https://doi.org/10.15430/JCP.24.020