lycopene

General

Complementary/Alternative Medicine: This monograph describes a natural or herbal product that is not subject to FDA guidelines for medicines. Patients and clinicians are advised to read package labels carefully to ensure safe and efficacious use.

Pronunciation:
lahy-kuh-peen


Trade Name(s)

  • all-trans lycopene
  • psi-psi-carotene

Ther. Class.

antioxidants

cardioprotective agents

antineoplastics

Common Uses

  • Atherosclerosis prevention.
  • Exercise-induced asthma.
  • Cancer prevention.
  • Oral leukoplakia.

Action

Lycopene is a predominant carotenoid in blood and tissues that has antioxidant properties. It scavenges free radicals and prevents oxidative damage to DNA. It may decrease cholesterol synthesis and remove LDL cholesterol from circulation. 85% of dietary lycopene comes from tomato-derived products.

Therapeutic Effect(s):

  • Atherosclerosis prevention.
  • Cancer prevention.

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption: Unknown

Distribution: Unknown

Metabolism and Excretion: Unknown

Half-life: Unknown

TIME/ACTION PROFILE

ONSETPEAKDURATION
POunknownunknownunknown

Contraindication/Precautions

Contraindicated in:

  • Hypersensitivity.

Use Cautiously in:

Pregnancy and lactation (when using amounts greater than those found in foods)

Adverse Reactions/Side Effects

GI: abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence

* CAPITALS indicate life-threatening.
Underline indicate most frequent.

Interactions

Natural Drug Interaction

None.

Natural-Natural:

Absorption may be increased with  beta carotene .

Route/Dosage

PO (Adults): Exercise-induced asthma: 30 mg/day;  Prostate cancer: 15 mg twice daily; Oral leukoplakia: 4–8 mg/day.

Availability

Softgels: 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg

Assessment

  • Monitor for GI side effects (abdominal pain, flatus, diarrhea) periodically during therapy.

Lab Test Considerations:

Monitor lipid profile, serum androgen, and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) before and periodically during therapy.

Implementation

  • PO Administer as directed.

Patient/Family Teaching

  • Instruct patient to take as directed.
  • Advise female patient to notify health care professional if pregnancy is planned or suspected or if breastfeeding.

Evaluation/Desired Outcomes

Decrease in atherosclerosis and exercise–induced asthma.