Lycopene in tomato juice

Tomatoes are considered as a major source of carotenoids in the human diet. From a total of about 40 carotenoids present in the human diet in human blood is only 25 carotenoids which are present due to their selective intake of the digestive tract. Of these, the majority of carotenoids are present just in fresh and processed tomatoes. The most important carotenoids for humans include lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin.

Lycopene content in various tomatoes and their products on a fresh weight basis ranged from 56 mg/kg to 371 mg/kg. Fresh tomatoes accounted for 54% of total lycopene intake. The lycopene/β-carotene ratio of tomato products is less than unity while that of fresh tomatoes is greater than unity.

Lycopene is a nutrient in the carotenoid family that has antioxidant properties. Lycopene provides the pigment that gives red and pink fruits their color.

The importance of lycopene in the diet of people in recent years has grown mainly for its pharmacological effects due to its ability to reduce the risk of carcinoma diseases and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Lycopene is considered to be the most effective natural antioxidant. It is reported that it is twice more effective than β-carotene and ten times more effective than β-tocopherol.

Lycopene the predominant carotenoid in tomatoes, is among the major carotenoids in human serum; liver; testes and the prostate. It can most easily be seen in ripe tomato fruit, watermelon and pink grapefruit, giving them characteristic red pigmentation. The lycopene content in tomato as a fruit is low and can only be increased by processing tomato fruits either into paste, ketchup or juice.
Lycopene in tomato juice