Color and Lycopene Content of Tomato Puree Affected by Electroplasmolysis

Tomato puree was produced using three different breaking methods, namely heating by steam injection, by electroplasmolysis, and combination of both steam injection and electroplasmolysis. In electroplasmolysis, the tomato pulp was treated at the electric field strength of 68 V/cm for 1.5 seconds. L, a, b, a/b, tomato color index, total color difference, chroma difference, hue angle, and lycopene content of purees were measured. Puree samples breaked by electroplasmolysis had better color values and the highest lycopene content. The a/b, tomato color index, and lycopene content of these samples were as 2.00; 49.94 and 273.9 mg/kg, respectively.     

Effects of Gac aril microwave processing conditions on oil extraction efficiency,and β-carotene and lycopene contents

The effects of Gac oil extraction conditions including microwave power, microwave time, steaming time and hydraulic pressure on extraction efficiency (EE), and β-carotene and lycopene contents were studied. It was found that the EE, and β-carotene and lycopene contents could be enhanced by suitable extraction conditions. Microwave drying was found to be better than air drying for pretreatment. Moisture content after drying and steaming between 8% and 11% (wt/wt) were best for pressing. Results showed that the most suitable conditions for Gac oil extraction from 900 g samples were microwave power of 630 W, microwave time of 65 min, steaming time of 20 min and hydraulic pressure of 170 kg/cm². Under these conditions, the highest EE of 93% was achieved while Gac oil contained the highest content of β-carotene and lycopene at 140 and 414 mg/100 mL, respectively.     

Application of a UV–vis detection-HPLC method for a rapid determination of lycopene and β-carotene in vegetables

The purpose of this paper is to optimize an HPLC method for the determination of lycopene and β-carotene in vegetables and compare it with a spectrophotometric standard method. Among the different conditions studied the most suitable ones for our samples were: extraction with hexane/acetone/ethanol (50:25:25 v/v/v), evaporation of the hexane layer, dissolution of the dry extract in THF/ACN/methanol (15:30:55 v/v/v) and injection on a C18 column with methanol/ACN (90:10 v/v) + TEA 9 μM as mobile phase (Φ = 0.9 ml/min) and λ_detection = 475 nm. Samples considered for analysis were: tomato, carrot, pepper, watermelon, persimmon and medlar. The HPLC method proposed showed adequate reproducibility (RSD < 10.5%), accuracy (100–109% recovery) and sensitive detection limits (0.6 μM for lycopene; 0.3 μM for β-carotene), with a simple preparation of the samples (one step direct extraction) and short run times (10 min) for the quantification of lycopene and β-carotene.     

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.     

Carotenoid and phenolic profile of tomato juices processed by high intensity pulsed electric fields compared with conventional thermal treatments

The effect of high intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) processing (35 kV/cm for 1500 μs of overall treatment time with bipolar pulses of 4-μs at 100 Hz) and heat pasteurisation (90 °C for 30 s or 60 s) on carotenoids and phenolic compounds as well as on some quality attributes (pH, soluble solids and colour parameters) of tomato juice was evaluated and compared, having the untreated juice as a reference. Processing enhanced some carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene and phytofluene) and the red colour of juices, whereas no significant changes in phenolic compounds, pH and soluble solids were observed between treated and untreated juices. A slight decrease in overall health-related compounds was observed over time, with the exception of some carotenoids (β-carotene and phytoene) and caffeic acid. However, HIPEF-processed tomato juices maintained higher content of carotenoids (lycopene, neurosporene and γ-carotene) and quercetin through the storage time than thermally and untreated juices. Hence, the application of HIPEF may be appropriate to achieve not only safe but also nutritious and fresh like tomato juice.     

Changes in the carotenoid concentration in human postprandial chylomicron and antioxidant effect in HepG2 caused by differently processed fruit and vegetable soups

Ten subjects consumed one serving of an optimised or a reference soup produced using modified or traditional processing methods, respectively. Both soups contained the same proportions of carrot, tomato and broccoli, but with 5% olive oil in the optimised soup and 2.5% in the reference soup. The β-carotene content in 600 mL of the optimised/reference soups was 4.10/2.90 mg, and the lycopene content was 3.90/2.71 mg. The β-carotene and lycopene concentrations in chylomicrons isolated from blood serum samples were similar for both groups. Only 50% of subjects could be considered as carotenoid responders and, in agreement with in vitro accessibility data, the β-carotene concentration in the chylomicrons of these subjects was significantly higher in the group consuming the optimised soup, while no changes were found for lycopene. Postprandial chylomicrons from the optimised soup group exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity in HepG2 cells than the other group. The stimulation of HepG2 cells by human postprandial chylomicrons seems useful for evaluating the antioxidant effect of different food matrices.     

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 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-rich fractions derived from pink guava by-product and their potential activity towards hydrogen peroxide-induced cellular and DNA damage

Effects of solvent and supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) extraction on antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of lycopene-rich fractions of decanted pink guava by-product (decanter) were determined with lycopene-equivalent antioxidant capacity, β-carotene bleaching and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assays. Extraction with SC-CO₂ gave a higher yield than solvent extraction (3.15 vs. 0.68 mg/100 g dried decanter, corresponding to 42.99 and 33.63 mg of lycopene). No cytotoxicity was found in Chang liver cells supplemented with either extracts (6.25–200 μg/ml). Solvent extract at 25 μg/ml (2.32 μM lycopene) and SC-CO₂ extract at 200 μg/ml (5.09 μM lycopene) had protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. However, only high concentrations of solvent extract (200 μg/ml; lycopene = 18.65 μM) or lycopene standard (10 μM) protected cells against DNA damage. Supercritical fluid extraction demonstrated a higher yield in lycopene-rich fraction from decanter. These fractions have the potential to be developed as a functional ingredient to prevent oxidative stress and other related diseases.     

Antioxidant activity of tomato lipophilic extracts and interactions between carotenoids and α-tocopherol in synthetic mixtures

In the present study we assayed the antioxidant activity of lipophilic extracts obtained from different tomato varieties. The results showed that cherry tomatoes, characterized by a high carotenoid content, had the highest antioxidant activity. A quantitative analysis of lycopene, β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol was also performed and the correlation between the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity was estimated. The highest correlation coefficient was found for lycopene (R² = 0.9236, P ≤ 0.001). The analysis of two-component mixtures containing α-tocopherol and carotenoids showed that significant synergism occurred for all the combinations which contained α-tocopherol and β-carotene mixed together. The highest synergistic effects were detected for α-tocopherol-lycopene mixtures, which were the most efficient combinations tested in the present study. The analysis of the carotenoid combinations indicated that synergism occurred for lycopene-β-carotene, lycopene-lutein and lutein-β-carotene mixtures. The analysis of four-component mixtures did not show statistically significant synergistic effects.     

Evaluation of extraction method for the analysis of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables

This study evaluated a suitable extraction method for a wide range of sample matrices in carotenoid analysis. Using canned tomato juice as a representative sample, it is shown that two solvents of low biological hazard, ethanol and hexane are the most suitable for extracting carotenoids from the matrix. The use of double extraction, each with 35 ml of ethanol:hexane mixture (4:3, by volume), resulted in good recoveries of carotenoids (lycopene 96%, α-carotene 102% and β-carotene 93–100%). Coefficients of variation conducted on different days were: lycopene 5% and β-carotene 7%. An application of the established method to various kinds of fruit and vegetable matrices is also shown, using carrot and spinach as representative samples of root and leafy vegetables, for determining recoveries of added carotenoids. The average percent recoveries of added carotenoids from canned tomato juice, carrot and spinach were: 101, 99.8 and 101% for α-carotene (12.4, 24.8, 49.6 and 99.2 μg/10 ml of added α-carotene); and 98.1, 99.7 and 96.1 percent for β-carotene (25.5, 50.9, 101 and 201 μg/10 ml of added β-carotene). These similar recoveries over the explored concentration ranges confirm that the application of established extraction method is unaffected by differences in matrix composition of the samples.     

Modelling the stability of lycopene-rich by-products of tomato processing

Tomato by-products were produced by puree manufacturing from heat-stabilised fruits and raw fruits to simulate both conventional and innovative processing technologies. By-products were freeze-dried, ground and stored in five relative humidity environments in the range 11–75%, for 4 months at 30 °C. The aims were: (a) to investigate the effect of heating applied during tomato processing on by-product hygroscopicity and stability, (b) to find out the optimal water activity (a_w) range for by-product stability. Hygroscopicity was studied by applying the Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) model. By-product stability was studied by evaluating the kinetics of lycopene, β-carotene, rutin and chlorogenic acid degradation and the changes in Hunter’s colourimetric parameters during storage.     

Effects of direct-electric-current on secondary plant compounds and antioxidant activity in harvested tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicon L.)

The effects of direct-electric-current (DC) on secondary plant compounds and antioxidant activity in harvested tomato fruits were investigated. A new technology was developed to supply DC to the tomatoes. Different intensities of DC (100–500 mA) with varied application times (15–60 min) were applied during postharvest. Almost all DC treatments significantly affected the secondary metabolism, resulting in an accumulation of carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity in tomatoes. In the present study, optimal DC treatments were found in order to obtain the highest content of all investigated secondary plant compounds. After an adaptation time (AT) of 2 h, the maximum contents of lycopene (122.4%), ß-carotene (140.4%), total phenol (120.0%), and antioxidant activity (126.5%) were attained with a DC treatment of 500 mA for 15 min. The results changed after an adaptation time of 24 h (AT 24 h), where the highest contents of lycopene (128.7%), ß-carotene (129.6%), total phenol (113.6%), and antioxidant activity (120.9%) were obtained using the same DC treatment (500 mA), but with an application time of 30 min. Therefore, the application of DC in harvested tomato fruits may be appropriate to improve the health-promoting properties of tomatoes.     

超临界CO_2萃取番茄红素的初步研究

近年的研究表明，番茄红素是一重要的类胡萝卜素。其功能在许多方面优于β－胡萝卜素。采用超临界ＣＯ２萃取技术从番茄加工副产品番茄皮中提取出番茄红素。研究了不同的压力、温度、流量和萃取时间对萃取率的影响。当萃取压力在１５～２５ＭＰａ，温度４０～５０℃，流量２０ｋｇ／ｈ，萃取１～２ｈ，既可将番茄皮中９０％以上的番茄红素萃取出来。     

Total and individual carotenoids and phenolic acids content in fresh,refrigerated and processed spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

The carotenoid and phenolic acid contents in fresh, stored and processed (blanched, frozen and boiled) spinach were comparatively determined by spectrophotometric and HPLC analyses. The major carotenoids identified after HPLC analysis in saponified samples were lutein (37–53 μg/kg), β-carotene (18–31 μg/kg), violaxanthin (9–23 μg/kg) and neoxanthin (10–22 μg/kg). These carotenoids were all affected by storage and/or heating. The content of carotenoids was best preserved after storage for one day at 4 °C.     

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.     

Effects of supercritical CO2 fluid parameters on chemical composition and yield of carotenoids extracted from pumpkin

Pumpkin is a traditional food that is grown extensively worldwide and is believed to be beneficial to human health due to its high contents of carotenoids. The carotenoids in pumpkin were extracted by organic solvents and by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂), and then they were identified, quantified, and compared. β-carotene (31 to 40 g per 100 g of total carotenoids) was the predominate carotenoid in pumpkin. Lutein and lycopene contents were much higher in SC-CO₂ extracts than those in organic solvent extract. Cis-β-carotene increased by more than two times in the SC-CO₂ extracts, even at a relatively low temperature of 40 °C, over those in the solvent extracts, indicating both enhanced solubility and isomerization from trans- to cis-β-carotene. The influences of modifier (10 mL/100 mL), temperature (40-70 °C), and pressure (25-35 MPa) of SC-CO₂ extraction on the change of carotenoid yields were also investigated. The highest yield (109.6 μg/g) was obtained at 70 °C and 35 MPa, with a 73.7% recovery. Selective extraction could be achieved by adjusting the temperature and pressure. Higher proportions of all-trans-β-carotene extracts were achieved at 40 °C under both 25 MPa and 35 MPa conditions. In order to extract more cis-isomers, a higher temperature of 70 °C was preferred.     

On the monitoring of carotenogenesis by Blakeslea trispora using HPLC

A rapid, isocratic RP-HPLC method for the determination of the carotenoids produced by Blakeslea trispora is described. The mixture of acetone:acetonitrile, 60:40, v/v, found appropriate for the cellular triacylglycerol analysis, was also successfully used for the separation of lycopene, γ-carotene and β-carotene. The method was validated for β-carotene using an olive oil triacylglycerol fraction devoid of carotenoids. Recovery study (300 mg/kg oil) was 99%. RSDr and RSD_L were satisfactory (<4%). The limit of quantification was found to be 4.56 ng/5 μL and the system was linear in the range 2.0–30.0 ng/μL.     

Effect of illumination and chlorophylls on stability of tomato carotenoids

Lipidic extract from tomato peels, or tomato peels plus stalks, dissolved in ethanol were submitted to illumination. Lycopene, β-carotene, phytoene and phytofluene isomerisation and degradation, during storage at room temperature for 28 days, were studied. Degradation of chlorophylls a and b were analysed in lipidic extracts from stalks. Total lycopene and all-E-lycopene degradation was found to fit to a first-order model. The degradation rate constant was lower in extracts from peels −0.0137 (all-E-lycopene) and −0.0737 (total lycopene), than in those from peel plus stalk −0.0415 (all-E-lycopene) and −0.0854 (total lycopene). Z-lycopene isomers showed an inconsistence change during storage, in all analysed samples. Concentration of β-carotene from extracts of tomato peels plus stalks decreased slightly during storage. Phytoene and phytofluene degradation were not significantly affected by both storage conditions and chlorophylls. The obtained results showed that some compounds from stalks, such as chlorophylls, could favour lycopene and β-carotene degradation during storage under illumination.     

从番茄提取番茄红素与β-胡萝卜素的工艺研究

研究从番茄中提取、分离番茄红素与β-胡萝卜素的工艺技术。结果表明：在丙酮、石油醚、正己烷、乙酸乙酯4种溶剂中,丙酮对β-胡萝卜素和番茄红素的提取率最高。丙酮提取的次数以3次较为适宜。用中性氧化铝柱色谱,依次用石油醚与氯仿洗脱,可分离β-胡萝卜素与番茄红素。丙酮提取番茄类胡萝卜素的适宜工艺条件为：温度60℃、时间4h、pH值5、料液比1：5。