Therapeutic potential of lycopene in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer: a review

Introduction: The prostate is a part of the male sex organ, which controls urine and also secretes fluid topreserve and keep male sex cells active. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the world andone of the main causes of cancer deaths in men, that is why it is of great importance. Lycopene is a red andlipophilic vegetable substance from the carotenoid family, and it naturally has the highest concentration in manyfruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and its derivatives. This substance reduces inflammation and has beenfound to have therapeutic effects in some cancers, including prostate cancer. Considering that common cancertreatment methods are associated with side effects for patients, the use of natural compounds with anti-cancerfunctions should be one of the nutritional necessities of these patients. Compounds such as lycopene do not havetoxic or side effects for the patient and can be useful in the prevention and control of cancer. The purpose ofthis study is to investigate the effect of lycopene in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.Methods: This study was conducted by searching the PubMed database and Google Scholar search engineusing the keywords Lycopene, Prostate cancer, Anti-Cancer effect, and several articles were investigated.Results: Lycopene reduces mutagenicity with its excellent antioxidant mechanism followed by free radicalscavenging. Also, by activating and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells and affecting signaling, it stops thegrowth of cancer cells and inhibits the progress of the cell cycle. This herbal substance has the effect of reducingcell mobility and blocking binding molecules and inhibiting colony formation. and prevents the development ofprostate cancer. Lycopene is also able to interact with other compounds and increase its properties. Throughdifferent pathways, lycopene increases the anti-oxidative and antiproliferative effects, reduces the serum levelof PSA (prostate-specific antigen), and reduces inflammatory cytokines, etc. showing the potential effects of itand its derivatives in the treatment of prostate cancer.Conclusion: Although lycopene suppresses growth and proliferation and stops the intracellular cycle, there isstill no conclusive evidence to confirm its effect in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, and morestudies are needed to understand its effects.