SummaryLycopene is a natural red tomato pigment whose presence in the diet is beneficial to human health. It is believed to modify the course of chronic conditions, including neoplastic diseases. Clinical research results confirm its protective effects on the cardiovascular system. It lowers the risk of myocardial infarction, reduces blood pressure and prevents LDL cholesterol oxidation. High blood lycopene concentrations are also associated with lower risks of developing prostate, lung, uterine and breast cancer. Lycopene does not only inhibit proliferation of neoplastic cells, but it also induces their apoptosis and prevents metastasis. The health effects attributed to this compound are mostly derived from its antioxidant properties. It is a strong singlet oxygen quencher, and it thwarts lipid oxidation. Experimental and clinical studies have also confirmed lycopene's positive effects on the skeletal system and on neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of human mortality worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation are pathophysiological processes involved in the development of CVD. That is why bioactive food ingredients, including lycopene, are so important in their prevention, which seems to be a compound increasingly promoted in the diet of people with cardiovascular problems. Lycopene present in tomatoes and tomato products is responsible not only for their red color but also for health-promoting properties. It is characterized by a high antioxidant potential, the highest among carotenoid pigments. Mainly for this reason, epidemiological studies show a number of favorable properties between the consumption of lycopene in the diet and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. While there is also some controversy in research into its protective effects on the cardiovascular system, growing evidence supports its beneficial role for the heart, endothelium, blood vessels, and health. The mechanisms of action of lycopene are now being discovered and may explain some of the contradictions observed in the literature. This review aims to present the current knowledge in recent years on the preventive role of lycopene cardiovascular disorders.

BACKGROUND In recent years, consumer interest in low‐fat foodstuffs having a clean label and potential benefits over physiological functions has shown a growing trend. β‐1,3/1,6‐d‐Glucans (BGs) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been recognized as excellent immune‐modulating compounds. Bilayer‐stabilized oil‐in‐water emulsion gels (BEGs) containing oil droplets covered by myofibrillar proteins–gum arabic membranes were used for entrapping BGs in the inner phase. This study investigated the effects of starch type (waxy maize starch, WMS; potato starch, PS) and concentration (0.0–50 g kg−1) on the physicochemical properties of BEGs composed of: 200 g kg−1 rapeseed oil, 40 g kg−1 myofibrillar proteins, 14 g kg−1 gum arabic, 15 g kg−1 BGs, 1 g kg−1 citric acid. RESULTS The results showed that BGs were successfully incorporated into the inner phase of BEGs and stability testing showed no separated oil and sediment layer. BEGs were characterized by droplet diameter of d3,2 = 3.62 ± 0.209 μm and electrical charge of the outer membrane of −27.4 ± 0.257 mV. Increasing starch concentration significantly (P < 0.05) affected values of the studied rheological parameters, but to a greater extent in relation to PS than WMS. Sensory analysis showed that BEGs were most desirable at WMS and PS concentrations of 40–50 and 30–40 g kg−1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS BEGs containing oil droplets covered by myofibrillar proteins–gum arabic membranes can be used as carriers for insoluble β‐glucans and manufactured with a wide range of rheological properties and sensory features desired by consumers. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Physicochemical properties, oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity (AC) of clean label meat-based sauces (MBSs) were investigated with reference to cold storage time (ST) and addition of phenolic extracts (PEs): green coffee bean (GCE), green tea (GTE), knotweed rhizome (KRE). All parameters determined were compared to a control sample (CS), prepared without extracts. MBSs enriched with GCE or KRE were stable during the whole ST (90 days), while the CS and samples containing GTE, showed descending trend regarding physical stability after 10 days of storage. MBSs prepared with PEs (90 days storage) demonstrated: peroxide value (PV) < 8.5 mEq O 2 /kg lipids, TBARS < 5.6 mg MDA/kg lipids, carbonyl content < 4.7 nmol/mg protein, and the values were significantly ( p < 0.05) smaller than those found in CS. Irrespectively of the applied measurements (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP) the values of AC (trolox equivalent, TE) decreased with ST, and regarding ABTS assay were in ranges: 0.73–0.42 mM TE (CS), 3.54–2.75 mM TE (GCE), 4.89–3.29 mM TE (GTE) and 3.86–2.25 mM TE (KRE). ANOVA revealed that rheological parameters obtained from Herschel–Bulkley′s and Bohlin′s models were predominantly ( p < 0.001) affected by ST. After 90 days of storage, values of the desirability index were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher for GCE-fortified MBS than for samples prepared with GTE and KRE. The results of this study can be useful to optimize composition of meat-based sauces containing bioactive ingredients and exhibiting desired by the consumer sensory features.