Effects of Storage Conditions on Lycopene Stability in Tomato Extracts. An Undergraduate Experiment

Tara M. Sirvent
Department of Chemistry, Vanguard University, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Amanda L. Miller and Pamela Vaughan
Department of Chemistry, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514
J. Chem. Educ., 2009, 86 (11), p 1304
DOI: 10.1021/ed086p1304
Publication Date (Web): November 1, 2009

Abstract

Lycopene isomers can be isolated in samples of fresh tomato fruits, Lycopersicon esculentum L. Following homogenation the fruit tissue was extracted using organic solvents. Analysis of dried extracts was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array detection (PDA). Initial analysis indicated only one isomer of lycopene (all-trans-lycopene). However, when the extract was incubated at room temperature (25 °C) under ambient light conditions for seven days and analyzed again via HPLC, a more bioactive form of lycopene, the cis isomer, was present in both low- and high-oxygen environments. This procedure is inexpensive and scaled for classroom laboratory applications. It demonstrates the importance of sample preparation and storage conditions on compound stability.

Keywords (Audience):

Upper-Division Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Analytical Chemistry

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Food Science
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History

  • Received: August 03, 2009

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