ISHS Acta Horticulturae 542: VII International Symposium on the Processing Tomato
CAROTENOID EXTRACTION FROM TOMATO BY-PRODUCTS |
| Authors: | R.M. Ruiz, V. Mangut, C. González, R. de la Torre, A. Latorre |
| Keywords: | Pigments, lycopene, peel, seed, waste, composition, solvent, yield |
| Abstract:
The characteristic red colour of tomato is given by a combination of carotenoid pigments of which the most abundant is lycopene. The main dietary human source of lycopene is the ripe red tomato. In addition to their value in the nutritional context, carotenoids have other important functions, including some of epidemiological significance in disease prevention. Analytical methods for their characterisation and quantification in various tomato matrices are essential particularly with regard to some studies dealing with diet and health. The tomato waste from the tomato production, currently utilised for animal feed, has been proved to be an excellent and cheap source of carotenoids. The “Vegas del Guadiana” region is the first Spanish producer in processing tomato, mainly for tomato paste, from which around 45 000 t tomato waste (that is, 20 000 t of peel waste) are obtained. An appropriate industrial separation has been developed in order to get efficiently and cheaply the peel fraction, free of seeds, stems, leaves, etc., all included in the whole by-product from tomato processing lines. This tomato by-product corresponds to 2 %-3 % of the tomato raw material. A simple extraction procedure at laboratory scale was performed to obtain a reasonable carotenoid yield, with a view to be used at industrial level without any environment damage impact. The feasible industrial scale application of these procedures: peel separation and carotenoid extraction, would mean another available source of carotenoid extracts without any added cost, for different commercial applications. | |
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