Lycopene an adjunctive therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a quasi-control trial

Although some herbal remedies in association with vitamin therapy have been investigated in eradicating HP, no research has been done to investigate the effects of lycopene it. Our aim was to understand if lycopene could be effective in eradication of HP. In this parallel group quasi-control trial, a total of 54 patients whose diagnosis of HP had been confirmed by rapid urease test (RUT) were enrolled. Group 1 received the standard 4-drug therapy to eradicate HP (Metronidazole 500 mg/BD, Amoxicillin 1g/BD, Omeprazole 20mg/BD, and Bismuth 240 mg/BD) and group 2 received the same regimen in association with Lycopene (30 mg/daily). One month after the initiation of the treatment, the patients were evaluated for HP eradication by RUT. Although eradication rate was higher in the second group, bivariate analysis showed no significant statistical difference between the two groups. In contrast with other nutrients, it seems that Lycopene does not have any significant effects on eradicating HP in comparison with the standard antibiotic therapy. The prevalence of HP is in association with socioeconomic situation, so the patients in different studies should be paid more attention about their own life style. We recommend that more studies can be designed by considering control group and placebo administration.