Effect of tomato, tomato-derived products and lycopene on metabolic inflammation: from epidemiological data to molecular mechanisms

The goal of this narrative review is to summarize the current knowledge and limitations related to the anti-inflammatory effects of tomato, tomato-derived products and lycopene in the context of metabolic inflammation associated to cardiometabolic diseases. The potential of tomato and tomato derived products supplementation is supported by animal and in vitro studies. In addition, intervention studies provide arguments in favor of a limitation of metabolic inflammation. This is also the case of observational studies depicting inverse association between plasma lycopene levels and inflammation. Nevertheless, current data of intervention studies are mixed concerning the anti-inflammatory effect of tomato and tomato-derived products and are not in favor of an anti-inflammatory effect of pure lycopene in humans. From epidemiological to mechanistic studies, this review aims to identify limitations of the current knowledge and gaps that remain to be filled to improve our comprehension in contrasted anti-inflammatory effects of tomato, tomato-derived products and pure lycopene.