Effect of short term supplementation of tomatoes on antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in type-II diabetes.

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the beneficial effect of tomatoes, which are rich source of Lycopene, relatively a new carotenoid known to play an important role in human health and disease. In this study lipid peroxidation rate was measured by estimating Malondialdehyde and the levels of serum enzymes involved in antioxidant activities like Super Oxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glutathione Reductase, Reduced Glutathione, in type-II diabetic group (n=40) and age matched control group (n=50), and observed significantly lower levels of antioxidant enzymes and very high lipid peroxidation rate in type-II diabetes when compared to control group (p<0.001). Short term supplementation with tomatoes (cooked) to diabetic group for a period of 30 days, showed a significant improvement in antioxidant enzyme levels (p<0.001) and decreased lipid peroxidation rate (p<0.001) suggesting the supplementation with tomato lycopene may serve as the best method of preventing the oxidative stress in diabetic patients.