Lycopene, the major carotenoid found in red-fleshed fruits, is known to have antioxidant properties that are important to human health. Breeding efforts aimed at improving lycopene content in fruits such as tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum </i>Mill.)  have increased as a result of the beneficial implications to nutrition. Traditional methods employed to determine lycopene content rely on the use and disposal of hazardous organic solvents. In this study, an analytical method to determine lycopene content in tomato using ‘greener’ solvents with respect to those used in traditional extraction methods was developed.  Lycopene content was determined using UV/Vis spectrometry and a ‘greener’ solvent, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), was used in in place of tetrahydrofuran (THF). Green and traditional methods were performed alongside each other for each fruit sample and then compared using a paired t-test. Preliminary data suggests that the green method yields lycopene levels comparable to lycopene extracted using THF. This trend suggests the 2-MeTHF is a viable, less hazardous alternative to THF in lycopene extraction.

Green extraction of lycopene from tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum</i>) using 2-methyltetrahydrofuran

249th National Meeting (2015)

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Green extraction of lycopene from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) using 2-methyltetrahydrofuran