Interferences of anthocyanins with the uptake of lycopene in Caco-2 cells, and their interactive effects on anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation in vitro and ex vivo

Lycopene was combined with the glucosides of each of the six common anthocyanidins at 3 different ratios to investigate their interactions on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and cellular uptake. The bioactivity interaction between lycopene and anthocyanins was studied in both chemical and cellular models. Anti-oxidative synergy was not seen in any of the tested lycopene-anthocyanin mixtures, nor in the models studied. When lycopene was paired with the methoxylated anthocyanins, the anti-inflammatory effect on the inhibition of the cytokine IL-8, which is a pro-inflammatory biomarker, was increased by 15–69% of the expected additive activity, indicating synergistic interaction between the compounds. The cellular uptake of lycopene was significantly impaired by the presence of the anthocyanins: reduced by 50–80% at the lycopene: anthocyanin combinatory ratios of 2.5:7.5 μM (1:3) or 5:5 μM (1:1). The reduced intracellular lycopene content might be partly responsible for the antagonistic cellular antioxidant property seen in some of the tested mixtures.