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Skin Lycopene Is Destroyed Preferentially over ß-Carotene during Ultraviolet Irradiation in Humans^1,2,

The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111 ^* Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118

This placebo-controlled study examined in healthy women the effects of ingestion of a single large dose of ß-carotene (120 mg) on the concentrations of ß-carotene and lycopene in plasma and skin, and the effects of UV light exposure on the concentrations of ß-carotene and lycopene in the skin. Ingestion of ß-carotene increased plasma ß-carotene concentration by 127%, from 0.26 ± 0.06 (mean ± SEM) to 0.59 ± 0.07 µmol/L after 1 d, and the level remained elevated at 0.54 ± 0.11 µmol/L after 5 d. ß-Carotene in skin, analyzed after 6 d, increased by 23%, from 1.41 ± 0.74 to 1.74 ± 0.72 nmol/g. ß-Carotene ingestion had no effect on the lycopene concentrations of plasma (0.37 ± 0.11 µmol/L) or skin (1.60 ± 0.62 nmol/g). A single exposure of a small area of one volar forearm to a dose of solar-simulated light (three times the individually determined minimal erythema dose) resulted in 31 to 46% reductions in skin lycopene concentration compared with an adjacent non-exposed area. The same UV dose did not result in significant changes in skin ß-carotene concentration. We conclude that a single 120-mg dose of ß-carotene increases plasma and skin ß-carotene concentrations and has no effect on plasma and skin lycopene concentrations. The amounts of lycopene in plasma and skin are comparable to or even greater than those of ß-carotene. When skin is subjected to UV light stress, more skin lycopene is destroyed compared with ß-carotene, suggesting a role of lycopene in mitigating oxidative damage in tissues.

KEY WORDS: • ß-carotene • skin carotenoids • lycopene • ultraviolet light • humans

¹ Supported in part by USDA contract no. 53-1950-5-003. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the USDA, nor does mention of commercial products imply endorsement by the United States government.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

⁴ Current address: Department of Dermatology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Manuscript received 31 October 1994. Revision accepted 6 February 1995.