Study On The Extraction And Purification Of Lycopene

Abstract: Technology of extraction and purity of lycopene was studied in this paper with the improving methods of solvent extraction and column chromatography, and using enzyme treated tomato as material. For the purpose of enriching the theoretical basis and providing better methods of extracting and purifying lycopene, the effects of different pretreatments on extractive efficiency were studied, the condition of column chromatography was determined, and the technological process was put forward. The following points are main conclusions of those studies: Regarding lycopene extractive efficiency, the experiments of four different pretreatments of extractive material showed that extracting straightly after crushing tomato was the best way, because drying or centrifugation of the crushed tomato before extraction did not rise but reduced extractive efficiency exactly. For improving extractive method of lycopene, the reseach focuses firstly on the way of microwave extraction. The results of experiments indicated that: compared with traditional extractive technology, microwave extraction not only reduced extractive time but also increased productive rate. The optimum microwave power and time, the optimum ratio of liquor and material, and the optimum extractive time were determined. They were 360w and 20s, 1∶0.9, and 5h respectively. After crushing tomato and before microwave extraction, adding enzyme to crushed tomatoes could increase the extractive efficiency further. That was say that the extractive time was reduced and productive rate was increased. Cellulose or pectin enzymes could be used individually, but their combination was the best. The optimum quality of additive enzyme (0.04%～0.1%) and the optimum active time (2.5h～3.5h) were determined. When enzyme treatment and microwave extraction combined, the productive rate could increase further. Meanwhile the best technical parameters of microwave extraction should be adjusted correspondingly. Through experiments, the optimum power of microwave(720w), the optimum quality of additive enzyme(0.3%) and the optimum active time(2.5h) were determined. The other conclusions of this study include: The temperature of concentration was not beyond 70℃　in　ordinary　pressure.　The extraction solvents of lycopene could be chloroform, benzene or n-hexane. Using aluminum oxide as immobile phase of column–chromatography, oleoresin was separated through three-step elution program. Needle-like crystals could get from the concentrated eluting liquid, in which, by measurement of HPLC, the mass percentage of lycopene was 70%. Other ingredients separated from oleoresin wereβ-carotene and zeaxanthin.