ISHS Acta Horticulturae 542: VII International Symposium on the Processing Tomato
DEGRADATION OF LYCOPENE IN TOMATO PROCESSING |
| Authors: | J. Shi, M. Le Maguer |
| Keywords: | Degradation, heating, isomerization, light, lycopene, oxidation |
| Abstract:
Lycopene is the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. Increasing clinical evidence supports the role of lycopene as a natural antioxidant with important health benefits, since it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and tomato-based foods are the major source of lycopene compounds, and are also considered an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Undesirable degradation of lycopene affects the health benefit. 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 state. Determination of the degree of lycopene isomerization during processing provides a measure of the potential health benefits of tomato-based foods. Heat and light irradiation treatments induce isomerization of the all-trans to cis forms. The cis-isomers increase with temperature and light irradiation time only in the very beginning of the treatment, and oxidation of all-trans and cis isomers is the main tendency in tomato processing. A significant decrease in the total lycopene content and cis-isomers by heat and light irradiation treatments is the principle characteristic of food processing. | |
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