Chemical Properties |
Lycopene is a white to pale-yellow solid; balsam oriental aroma. Lycopene extract from tomato is a dark-red viscous liquid. It is freely soluble in ethyl acetate and n-hexane, partially soluble in ethanol and acetone, and insoluble in water. A solution in n-hexane shows an absorption maximum at approximately 472nm.
Lycopene (from the Greek word lykopersikon, meaning tomato) is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment. The natural resources are red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, and apricots. After absorbing from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes. Lycopene has been used to prevent carcinogenesis, cardiovascular diseases and aging.

From a chemistry perspective, lycopene is a symmetrical tetraterpene assembled from 8 isoprene units, containing 11 conjugated and 2 non-conjugated double bonds between carbon atoms. Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family, and the predominant source in the human diet comes from tomato and tomato-based products. The antioxidant capacity of tomato strongly depends on the content and bioavailability of lycopene in the fruit. There is strong correlation between lycopene content in tomatoes and antioxidant capacity. |
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