Enzyme aided extraction of lycopene from tomato tissues

Lycopene is a natural carotenoid pigment and a high value nutraceutical having wide use. The objective of the present work was to obtain a good yield of lycopene from tomato tissues, using cellulase and pectinase enzymes. Various parameters such as concentration of enzymes and time of incubation were optimised, to improve the yield of lycopene from tomatoes. Enzyme aided extraction of lycopene from whole tomatoes under optimised conditions resulted in an increase in the lycopene yield by 132 μg/g (198%) in cellulase treated sample and 108 μg/g (224%) in case of pectinase treated sample. Extraction from tomato peel under optimised conditions showed a remarkable increase in the yield of lycopene by 429 μg/g (107%) and 1104 μg/g (206%), for cellulase and pectinase treated samples, respectively. Likewise, the enzyme aided extraction of lycopene from fruit pulper waste and industrial waste of tomatoes was done to determine the potential for recovering the natural pigment from tomato waste.     

Lycopene degradation and isomerization in tomato dehydration

Lycopene is an important nutrient, since it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and tomato products are the major source of lycopene, and are considered to be an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Biodegradation of lycopene not only affects the attractive color of the final products, but also their nutritive value. The main cause of lycopene degradation in tomato dehydration is isomerization and oxidation. The objectives of this study were to determine the retention of total lycopene and isomerization in different dehydration methods, and to optimize processing technology for the retention of lycopene biological potency in the tomato products. Experiments were carried out to compare the effect of osmotic treatment, vacuum-drying, air-drying and their combination on the retention of lycopene bioactivity. Firstly a skin treatment was applied to the tomatoes, following an osmotic treatment at 25°C in 65°Brix sucrose solution for 4 h, then vacuum-drying at 55°C for 4–8 h, or air-drying at 95°C for 6–10 h. In the fresh tomato samples, lycopene content is 75.5 μg/100 g on dry weight basis. Lycopene occurs in nature primarily in the more stable all-trans form. A significant increase in the cis-isomers with simultaneous decrease in the all-trans isomers can be observed in the dehydrated tomato samples in the different dehydration methods. The cis-isomers increased with temperature and processing time. In the osmotic treatment, the predominating mechanism is isomerization of lycopene. Since the total lycopene content remained essentially constant, but the distribution of trans- and cis-isomers changed. In the air-drying processing, isomerization and oxidation (autoxidation) as two strong factors affected simultaneously the decrease of total lycopene content, distribution of trans-and cis-isomers, and biological potency. A possible explanation of this result is that sugar enters the tomato matrix and strengthen the binding force on lycopene in the tomato matrix. Osmotic solution (sugar) remaining on the surface layer of the tomato prevents oxygen from penetrating and oxidizing lycopene. The osmotic treatment could reduce lycopene losses in comparison with other dehydration methods.     

Comparison of lycopene stability in water- and oil-based food model systems under thermal- and light-irradiation treatments

Lycopene can undergo degradation via isomerization and oxidation during processing and storage. These degradative reactions affect its bioactivity and health benefit functionality. Degradation kinetics and isomerization of lycopene in water- and oil-based tomato model systems were investigated as a function of thermal treatments and light irradiation. Results showed that 80 and 100 °C heating favoured the stability of lycopene in oil-based tomato products. The high heating temperatures (120 and 140 °C) increased isomerization of lycopene and resulting in degradation of total lycopene and cis-isomers in both water- and oil-based tomato products. However, the levels of degradation of total lycopene contents and cis-isomers were greater in water-based samples than in oil-based model systems under different treatments. Heat and light both promoted lycopene isomerization of the all-trans form to the cis-isomers and further oxidation of cis-isomers. The major effect of thermal degradation and photosensitized oxidation was a significant decrease in the total lycopene content, especially the content of cis-isomers. These research results could be useful in assisting industry to improve processing technology and to improve the nutritional value and health-benefits of tomato-based foods.     

Processing of tomato: impact on in vitro bioaccessibility of lycopene and textural properties

BACKGROUND: Human studies have demonstrated that processing of tomato can greatly increase lycopene bioavailability. However, the difference between processing methods is not widely investigated. In the current study different thermal treatments of tomato were evaluated with regard to their impact on in vitro bioaccessibility and retention of lycopene and β‐carotene as well as textural properties. Thermal treatments used were low (60 °C) and high (90 °C) temperature blanching followed by boiling. RESULTS: Lycopene was relatively stable during thermal treatment, whereas β‐carotene was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by all heat treatments except for low temperature blanching. In vitro bioaccessibility of lycopene was significantly increased from 5.1 ± 0.2 to 9.2 ± 1.8 and 9.7 ± 0.6 mg kg^?1 for low and high temperature blanching, respectively. An additional boiling step after blanching did not further improve lycopene bioaccessibility for any treatment, but significantly reduced the consistency of low temperature treated samples. CONCLUSION: Choice and order of processing treatments can have a large impact on both lycopene bioavailability and texture of tomato products. Further investigations are needed, but this study provides one of the first steps towards tomato products tailored to optimise nutritional benefits. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of extrusion conditions on physical and chemical properties of high protein glutinous rice-based snack

Two glutinous rice-based snack formulations were designed using a linear-programming model to minimize total cost to meet the FAO/WHO/UNU. (1985). Energy and protein requirements. Report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation. Technical report series 724. Geneva: WHO requirements for lysine and sulphur amino acids. Effects of protein concentration, feed moisture content and barrel temperature on the chemical and physical properties of the extruded product were investigated. Response surfaces for the parameters were generated using a second-degree polynomial. The high protein nutritious snack was obtained using glutinous rice flour, vital wheat gluten and toasted soy grits. A factorial design was employed to investigate the influence of feed protein content (20 and 30 g/100 g wb), feed moisture (20, 25, and 30 g/100 g wb) and barrel temperature (150 and 180 °C) on the physical and chemical properties of extrudates. Results showed that increasing feed moisture and reducing barrel temperature reduced non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and enhanced lysine retention. The protein and moisture content of raw material and barrel temperature had no significant influence on cysteine and methionine content. The conditions providing high expansion, low bulk density, and low shear strength of extruded snack were feed moisture of 20 g/100 g wb and 180 °C.     

Lycopene extraction from tomato peel by-product containing tomato seed using supercritical carbon dioxide

This work discusses the extraction of lycopene from tomato peel by-product containing tomato seed using supercritical carbon dioxide. The presence of tomato seed in the peel by-product improved the yield of extracted lycopene. Extraction was carried out at temperatures of 70-90 °C, pressures of 20-40 MPa, a particle size of 1.05 ± 0.10 mm and flow rates of 2-4 mL/min of CO₂ for 180 min extraction time. Oil from tomato seed was extracted under similar operating conditions and analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID, while carotenoids extracted were analyzed by HPLC. The optimum operating condition to extract lycopene, under which 56% of lycopene was extracted, was found to be 90 °C, 40 MPa, and a ratio of tomato peel to seed of 37/63. The presence of tomato seed oil helped to improve the recovery of lycopene from 18% to 56%. The concentration of lycopene in supercritical carbon dioxide as a function of density at various temperatures was determined.     

Lycopene in tomatoes: chemical and physical properties affected by food processing

Lycopene is the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. It has attracted attention due to its biological and physicochemical properties, especially related to its effects as a natural antioxidant. Although it has no provitamin A activity, lycopene does exhibit a physical quenching rate constant with singlet oxygen almost twice as high as that of beta-carotene. This makes its presence in the diet of considerable interest. Increasing clinical evidence supports the role of lycopene as a micronutrient with important health benefits, because it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and related tomato products are the major source of lycopene compounds, and are also considered an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Undesirable degradation of lycopene not only affects the sensory quality of the final products, but also the health benefit of tomato-based foods for the human body. Lycopene in fresh tomato fruits occurs essentially in the all-trans configuration. The main causes of tomato lycopene degradation during processing are isomerization and oxidation. Isomerization converts all-trans isomers to cis-isomers due to additional energy input and results in an unstable, energy-rich station. Determination of the degree of lycopene isomerization during processing would provide a measure of the potential health benefits of tomato-based foods. Thermal processing (bleaching, retorting, and freezing processes) generally cause some loss of lycopene in tomato-based foods. Heat induces isomerization of the all-trans to cis forms. The cis-isomers increase with temperature and processing time. In general, dehydrated and powdered tomatoes have poor lycopene stability unless carefully processed and promptly placed in a hermetically sealed and inert atmosphere for storage. A significant increase in the cis-isomers with a simultaneous decrease in the all-trans isomers can be observed in the dehydrated tomato samples using the different dehydration methods. Frozen foods and heat-sterilized foods exhibit excellent lycopene stability throughout their normal temperature storage shelf life. Lycopene bioavailability (absorption) can be influenced by many factors. The bioavailability of cis-isomers in food is higher than that of all-trans isomers. Lycopene bioavailability in processed tomato products is higher than in unprocessed fresh tomatoes. The composition and structure of the food also have an impact on the bioavailability of lycopene and may affect the release of lycopene from the tomato tissue matrix. Food processing may improve lycopene bioavailability by breaking down cell walls, which weakens the bonding forces between lycopene and tissue matrix, thus making lycopene more accessible and enhancing the cis-isomerization. More information on lycopene bioavailability, however, is needed. The pharmacokinetic properties of lycopene remain particularly poorly understood. Further research on the bioavalability, pharmacology, biochemistry, and physiology must be done to reveal the mechanism of lycopene in human diet, and the in vivo metabolism of lycopene. Consumer demand for healthy food products provides an opportunity to develop lycopene-rich food as new functional foods, as well as food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade lycopene as new nutraceutical products. An industrial scale, environmentally friendly lycopene extraction and purification procedure with minimal loss of bioactivities is highly desirable for the foods, feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. High-quality lycopene products that meet food safety regulations will offer potential benefits to the food industry.     

Thermal Stability and Isomerization of Lycopene in Tomato Oleoresins from Different Varieties

ABSTRACT: Lycopene, a tomato carotenoid, has been associated with the inhibition of certain chronic diseases including prostate cancer. Tomato oleoresin is a lipid-rich material resulting from successive solvent extraction of the tomato fruit. Thermal stability and isomerization of lycopene in oleoresins prepared from 3 different tomato varieties, Roma, High Lycopene, and Tangerine, and tomato peel waste, were studied at 25 °C, 50 °C, 75 °C, and 100 °C in the dark. Thermally degraded lycopene compounds and isomers of lycopene were analyzed by a combination of C₃₀ reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatograph with a photodiode array detector, UV-visible spectrometer, or mass spectrometer. Effects of antioxidants on lycopene were also studied at 50 °C. As the storage temperature increased from 25 °C to 100 °C, the degradation of total lycopene in oleoresin from all samples increased significantly ( P <0.05). Lycopene at 25 °C and 50 °C may degrade mainly through oxidation without isomerization. Isomerization of lycopene in tomato oleoresins increased at 75 °C and 100 °C. Tetra- cis lycopene in Tangerine tomato varieties followed different degradation and isomerization pathways compared with all -trans lycopene in other tomato varieties. Addition of α-tocopherol or butylated hydroxytoluene slowed the rate of degradation of lycopene in oleoresin.     

Enhancing lycopene stability and bioaccessibility in homogenized tomato pulp using emulsion design principles

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of oil, emulsifier, and texture modifier addition on the bioaccessibility of lycopene in homogenized tomato pulp. Different types (olive or corn oil) and levels (0 to 8 wt%) of digestible lipids, a protein-based emulsifier (whey protein isolate, WPI) and/or a polysaccharide-based texture modifier (sodium alginate, SA) were added to the tomato pulp. The addition of these substances increased the amount of lycopene liberated from the tomato tissues. WPI addition led to the formation of smaller oil droplets during homogenization that scattered light more strongly, thereby leading to a tomato pulp that appeared more turbid. SA addition increased the viscosity of the tomato pulp, thereby increasing its uniformity. The best storage stability of lycopene in the tomato pulp was achieved by adding 8% corn oil and 1% WPI. However, the best in vitro bioaccessibility of lycopene (61.5%) was achieved using 6% olive oil and 1% SA. Overall, our results show that lycopene bioaccessibility in tomato products can be increased by careful manipulation of emulsion properties.Industrial relevance: Lycopene is a strongly hydrophobic carotenoid found in tomatoes that contributes to their desirable appearance and potential health benefits. However, it has poor chemical stability and low oral bioavailability, which limits its beneficial effects. We show that the stability and bioaccessibility of lycopene can be improved by high-pressure homogenization of tomato pulp in the presence of specific food additives. This approach may be suitable for the large-scale production of tomato products with enhanced health benefits.     

Structural and textural characterization of corn–lentil extruded snacks

Structural and textural properties of extruded corn and corn–lentil mixtures were investigated as a result of process conditions, including extrusion temperature (170–230 °C), feed rate (2.52–6.84 kg/h) and feed moisture content (13–19% wb). Lentil was used in mixtures with corn flour at a ratio of 10–50% (legume/corn). Apparent density increased with feed rate, moisture content and material ratio and decreased with temperature, while expansion ratio showed an opposite behavior. Modulus of elasticity increased with feed composition and decreased with extrusion conditions. Number of peaks during compression decreased with extrusion temperature and feed composition. Similar behavior was also found for sensory evaluated structural and textural characteristics. The examination of macrostructure confirmed the effects of extrusion conditions and feed composition on structural and textural properties. The properties correlation revealed critical relationships among instrumental and sensorial characteristics. Hence, simple power model equations were developed, which enable their prediction and consequently the design of extruded snacks with acceptable quality characteristics.     

Improving the stability of lycopene Z-isomers in isomerised tomato extracts

Tomato-based foods rich in Z-lycopene are potentially more bioavailable and have greater bioefficacy compared to natural tomato products which mainly contain all-E-lycopene. To prepare a stable tomato extract with a high level of Z-lycopene, geometrical isomerisation of lycopene was studied in organic solvents either alone or in the presence of a tomato extract. Interconversion between the isomers was observed in all systems with 13Z-lycopene being the least stable. Heating a tomato extract containing mainly the all-E-isomer in ethyl acetate produced successively 13Z-, 9Z- and 5Z-lycopene. An isomerised tomato oleoresin with a minimal content of the most unstable 13Z-lycopene could be obtained by refluxing tomato oleoresin in ethyl acetate for 1 week. In this isomerised tomato oleoresin, total lycopene and lycopene isomer profiles were shown to remain constant for 1 year at room temperature. Accordingly, this product is a valid source of stable and potentially highly bioavailable lycopene.     

Changes in lycopene and beta carotene contents in aril and oil of gac fruit during storage

Gac fruits were physically measured and stored under ambient conditions for up to 2 weeks to observe changes in carotenoid contents (lycopene and beta carotene) in its aril. Initial concentrations in the aril of lycopene were from 2.378 mg/g fresh weight (FW) to 3.728 mg/g FW and those of beta carotene were from 0.257 to 0.379 mg/g FW. Carotenoid concentrations in the aril remained stable after 1 week but sharply declined after 2 weeks of storage. Gac oil, pressed from gac aril, has similar concentrations of lycopene and beta carotene (2.436 and 2.592 mg/g, respectively). Oil was treated with 0.02% of butylated hydroxytoluene, or with a stream of nitrogen or untreated then stored in the dark for up to 15 or 19 weeks under different temperatures (5 °C, ambient, 45 and 60 °C). Lycopene and beta carotene in control gac oil degraded following the first-order kinetic model. The degradation rate of lycopene and beta carotene in the treated oil samples were lower than that in the control oil but the first-order kinetic was not always followed. However, both lycopene and beta carotene degraded quickly in gac oil with the first-order kinetic under high temperature conditions (45 and 60 °C) regardless of the treatments used.     

The effect of extrusion cooking using different water feed rates on the quality of ready-to-eat snacks made from food by-products

The effect of different levels of feed moisture (12–17%) during extrusion cooking, using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder on selected nutritional and physical properties of extruded products was investigated. Four different formulations were used based on wheat flour and corn starch with the addition of 10% brewer’s spent grain (BSG) and red cabbage (RC) trimming reducing the flour and starch. The samples were: wheat flour + BSG (WBSG), corn starch + BSG (CBSG), wheat flour + red cabbage (WRC) and corn starch + red cabbage (CRC). Process conditions utilised were: constant feed rate of 25 kg/h, screw speed 200 rpm and barrel temperature of 80 and 120 °C. The results indicated that increasing the water feed to 15% increased the level of total dietary fibre (TDF) in all the extrudates while extrusion processing increased the level of TDF in WBSG, CBSG and CRC but decreased in WRC products. Extrusion cooking increased the level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) in WRC and CRC. In addition to water feed level affecting the TDF of the extrudates, also affected were the expansion ratio, bulk density, hardness, WSI, SME and colour. The protein level of the products and hardness of extrudates were related to the different formulations.     

Apparent solubility of lycopene and β-carotene in supercritical CO2, CO2 + ethanol and CO2 + canola oil using dynamic extraction of tomatoes

Lycopene and β-carotene were extracted from freeze-dried tomatoes (skin + pulp) with pure SC CO₂ and SC CO₂ + 5% w/w co-solvent at 40 °C, 400 bar and flow rates of 0.5 and 1.2 L/min. The apparent solubility of lycopene and β-carotene in the multicomponent complex system was determined from dynamic extraction experiments using a laboratory-scale supercritical extraction system. Solubility of pure lycopene and β-carotene in SC CO₂ (binary system) was reported in the literature to be of the order of 10⁻⁶ mole fraction. The apparent solubility of lycopene extracted from tomatoes with SC CO₂ (multicomponent complex system) under the same conditions was almost one order of magnitude smaller. The apparent solubility obtained using oil as a co-solvent was higher than that obtained with ethanol as a co-solvent or pure SC CO₂. The differences in solubility are mainly due to the polarity of the co-solvent and the impact of the tomato matrix in the multicomponent complex system.     

Effects of supercritical fluid extraction parameters on lycopene yield and antioxidant activity

The effects of various parameters of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) fluid extractions of tomato skins on the extraction yields and antioxidant activities of lycopene-rich extracts were investigated. A Box–Behnken design was applied to study the effects of three independent variables (temperature ranging from 40 to 100 °C, pressure ranging from 20 to 40 MPa, and flow rate ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 mL/min) on lycopene yield. The model showed good agreement with the experimental results, by the coefficient of determination (r² = 0.9834). Temperature, pressure, and the quadratic term for the temperature of SC-CO₂ extraction were large significantly positive factors affecting lycopene yield (P < 0.05). The maximum total lycopene content of 31.25 μg/g of raw tomato was extracted at the highest temperature of 100 °C, 40 MPa and 1.5 mL/min. TEAC assay was applied to assess the antioxidant activity of lycopene-rich extracts from SC-CO₂ fluid extraction. The effects of SC-CO₂ fluid extraction parameters on the antioxidant activities of the extracts differed with the yield. For each unit of lycopene extract, the antioxidant activity level was constant below 70 °C, but then gradually decreased above 70 °C due to isomerization occurring as a result of the higher temperature. The ratio of all-trans-lycopene to the cis-isomers changed from 1.70 to 1.32 when the operating temperature was adjusted from 40 to 100 °C, indicating an increased bioavailability due to the generation of the cis-isomers. No significant effects of pressure or flow rate of SC-CO₂ fluid extraction on the antioxidant activity were observed.     

固态(膏状)番茄红素产品稳定性研究

番茄红素油树脂是从西瓜、番茄及番茄制品等中分离出来的含有番茄红素的混合物。由于分子中有 11个共轭双键及 2个非共轭双键 ,因而具有很强的抗氧化能力 ,在贮存过程中极易发生顺反异构化及氧化破坏 ,进而丧失生理活性 ,甚至产生有害成分。文中研究了固态 (膏状 )番茄红素在不同条件下存放时被氧化破坏或发生顺反异构化的规律 ,依据SAS软件的处理结果给出了其残留率计算公式 ,并提出了适宜的产品存放条件     

Optimization of processing conditions to reduce oil uptake and enhance physico-chemical properties of deep fried rice crackers

Physico-chemical properties of fried rice crackers were studied as a function of fish powder content, processing conditions, frying temperature and frying time. The results showed that addition of fish powder content at 5, 10 and 15 g/100 g reduced the oil uptake by approximately 10, 14 and 22 g/100 g (db), respectively in comparison to the control without fish powder. The deep fried rice crackers mixed with fish powder tended to be lower in hardness, lower in expansion ratio and higher in bulk density in comparison to the control sample. The color parameter, L^∗ of fried rice crackers decreased with increase in fish powder content. In contrast, a^∗ and b^∗ values increased with increase in fish powder content. The moisture content of deep fried rice crackers decreased with increase in frying temperature and frying time. The oil uptake in fried rice crackers increased with increase in frying time but decreased with increase in frying temperature. With increase in frying temperature and time, the texture of rice crackers became harder, the bulk density increased, and the expansion ratio decreased. The optimum conditions resulting in desirable physico-chemical properties and minimum oil uptake were rice crackers with fish powder content of 9 g/100 g, fried at a temperature of 220 °C for 60 s.     

The effect of delactosed whey permeate on phytochemical content of canned tomatoes

The effect of delactosed whey permeate (DWP) treatment on antioxidant and phyto-chemical components of canned Irish plum tomatoes were investigated. Tomatoes were sterilised for 5 min (F₀) at 120 °C and stored for 6 months. The DWP treatment retained significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of ascorbic acid and lycopene of tomatoes. The antioxidant activity of DWP treated tomatoes was higher (7%) than the control at the end of storage. The firmness in DWP-treated fruits was around 40% higher than that in control. All the parameters decreased significantly (p < 0.05) during storage except lycopene and total phenols. Lycopene content showed no significant change and total phenols increased during storage. The changes in ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity and texture were fitted well to Weibull kinetic models with high coefficients of determination (R²) and low RMSE (root mean sum of squared error). The results clearly indicate that DWP enhanced the retention of antioxidant compounds in tomatoes during storage.     

Effect of extrusion conditions on resistant starch formation from pastry wheat flour

Pastry wheat flour was extruded under various conditions of feed moisture (20%, 40%, and 60%) and screw speed (150, 200, and 250 rpm), at constant barrel temperature profile (40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 °C, feed port to exit die). The extruded samples were stored at 4 °C for 0, 7, or 14 days, at which times resistant starch (RS) formation was analyzed. Thermal and pasting properties of extruded samples stored for 14 days were analyzed using a differential scanning calorimeter and rapid visco analyzer (RVA), respectively. The RS content increased after extrusion compared to non-extruded pastry wheat flour. High significant positive correlations of feed moisture (P < 0.01) and storage period (P < 0.05) with RS formation were observed. The RS derived from extrusion and storage showed higher thermal stability with decreasing feed moisture and screw speed. Statistically significant differences in pasting properties were observed with feed moisture or screw speed. In particular, the setback value from RVA of the sample was significantly increased with increasing feed moisture. These results indicate that feed moisture and storage time were both important factors for the formation of RS from pastry wheat flour during extrusion.