Processing tangerine tomatoes: effects on lycopene-isomer concentrations and profile.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Carotenoid Chemistry

Background:

• Lycopene is a potent antioxidant crucial for human health.
• Cis-lycopene isomers exhibit higher bioavailability and absorption compared to trans-isomers.
• Tangerine tomatoes are a valuable natural source of tetra-cis lycopene isomers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of processing on lycopene isomer profiles.
• To evaluate changes in cis- and trans-lycopene concentrations during sauce production.
• To provide insights into lycopene bioavailability from processed tomato products.

Main Methods:

• Tangerine tomatoes were processed into sauce at a pilot plant.
• Carotenoids were extracted from samples at various processing stages.
• Analyzed carotenoid concentrations and isomer profiles using chromatography.

Main Results:

• Total lycopene concentration significantly decreased during initial heating and juicing.
• Tetra-cis lycopene concentration markedly reduced post-processing.
• Processing led to an increase in trans- and other cis-lycopene isomers.

Conclusions:

• Tomato processing, including heating and juicing, alters lycopene isomer distribution.
• While total lycopene decreases, processing may influence the proportion of absorbable isomers.
• Further studies are needed to correlate these isomer changes with human absorption.