I. Lycopene
biological property
1, with oxidation resistance.
Lycopene quenches singlet oxygen or captures peroxide free radicals by physical and chemical means. Singlet oxygen is a kind of oxygen free radical with strong activity and has cytotoxic effect. Cell membrane, mitochondria and other parts are most sensitive to singlet oxygen, which can interact with a variety of biological macromolecules in cells and cause damage to the cell membrane system by combining with molecules. Lycopene can accept the energy of different excited States of electrons, absorb light energy, and transfer the energy of singlet oxygen to lycopene through singlet-singlet energy transfer process to generate ground-state oxygen molecules and triplet lycopene molecules. Triplet lycopene is regenerated by a series of optical rotation and vibration reactions with solvents, and energy is released in the process. The quenching ability of carotenoids is closely related to the number of * * yoke double bonds in their molecules. Lycopene molecules have 1 1 * * yoke double bonds. One lycopene molecule can scavenge thousands of singlet oxygen, and its rate constant of quenching singlet oxygen is twice as high as that of β -carotene Paolo et al reported that more than 30 biological antioxidants, such as carotenoids and tocopherols, quench singlet oxygen, and lycopene is the strongest one.
Lycopene can also eliminate oxidative free radicals through chemical reaction with other forms of reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. Oxidative free radicals can cause lipid peroxidation to form a variety of products, which are related to human aging, cancer, autoimmune diseases and anemia.
2. It can regulate cell growth and metabolism.
Usually, there are channels composed of membrane proteins between cells, which have selective permeability and allow second messengers and growth regulators to pass through. Cells transmit growth regulation signals in the cell population through gap junction communication (GJIC) to regulate the normal proliferation and differentiation of cells. Experiments show that lycopene inhibits tumor growth by inducing intercellular junction, enhancing GJIC between normal cells, controlling cell growth and inducing cell differentiation. When Japanese scholars studied the effect of lycopene on GJIC in rat liver tissue by fluorescent dye tracing technique, they found that feeding lycopene at a dose of 5mg/kgBW every day for 5 days could obviously enhance GJIC function. At the same time, because the GJIC function of most tumor cells is weak or missing, the GJIC function is reduced or inhibited after cell transformation, and the inhibition or destruction of GJIC function is considered as an important mechanism to promote the canceration stage.
3. It can regulate cholesterol metabolism.
Lycopene is a cholesterol-lowering agent, which can inhibit macrophage 3- hydroxy -3- methylglutaryl coenzyme A and is the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. It was found that when lycopene was added to the medium of macrophage culture, its cholesterol synthesis decreased, and lycopene also increased the activity of macrophage low density lipoprotein receptor. The experiment also showed that the human body supplemented with 60mg lycopene every day for 3 months can reduce the concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in cytoplasm by 65438 04%.
4. Health care function
The above biological characteristics of lycopene determine that it has many health-care functions, such as antioxidation, mutation inhibition, nucleic acid damage reduction, cardiovascular disease reduction and cancer prevention.
5, the role of preventing and inhibiting tumors.
Lycopene can prevent and inhibit tumors, on the one hand, because of its antioxidant effect; On the other hand, lycopene can block the process of gene mutation in tissues and cells under the action of external mutagens, which is one of the important mechanisms of tumor formation. It is found that lycopene can affect the S phase of the cell cycle of breast cancer, lung cancer and uterine cancer. Lycopene affects cell growth by inhibiting the transition phase from G 1 to s in cell cycle. Lycopene can effectively inhibit the production of carcinogens and induce tumors by inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the formation of heterocyclic amines produced in fried barbecue and brown reaction of fish. Studies have shown that lycopene has a certain inhibitory effect on digestive tract cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer and bladder cancer.
Second, Maca
Main value
1, nutrition
Chemical composition of dry roots of Maca: protein content is more than 10% (protein content of Maca variety near Huning Lake is more than 14%), and carbohydrate content is 59%; 8.5% fiber is rich in minerals such as zinc, calcium, iron, titanium, rubidium, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese, magnesium, strontium, phosphorus and iodine, and contains vitamins C, B 1, B2, B6, A, E, B 12 and B5. From 65438 to 0999, American scientists found that Maca contains two new plant active ingredients-Maca amide and Macaene, and determined that these two substances have significant effects on balancing human hormone secretion, so Maca is also called a natural hormone engine. In the targeted research of Maca products, several special Maca alkaloids were found. With the deepening of research, more active new substances will be isolated and identified from Maca.
Step 2: Eat
Maca can be eaten after sun drying or made into cold salad. Cooked food is better and can provide a lot of heat energy. People who have tasted maca say that they are satisfied, comfortable and delicious.
The fresh roots of maca can be fried with meat or other vegetables, or dried and boiled with water or milk. Local aborigines often drink fresh roots with honey and juice as drinks. Maca is rich in high-unit nutrients and has the function of nourishing and strengthening the body. People who have eaten will feel energetic, energetic and not tired.