Isolation and Quantification of Lycopene and Determination of Β-Carotene and Total Phenolic Contents from Tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum) by using Various Methods

Introduction: The study was conducted on isolation and quantification of lycopene and determination of β-carotene and total phenolic contents from tomato. Methods: Different solvent extraction methods were used and solvent extracts were analyzed by Spectrophotometer. There was significant difference observed among the lycopene, β- carotene and total phenolic content of tomato fruits in different solvent extractions. Results: Hexane: ethanol: acetone (2:1:1) solvent extract contain highest quantity of lycopene i.e. 6.76 mg% of fresh weight (F.W) which is significantly higher than ethyl acetate extract (0.86mg% of F.W.). Acetone-petroleum ether extract from tomato paste contain higher quantity of lycopene (1.83 mg% F.W.) than Acetone-petroleum ether extract (0.10 mg% fresh wt.) from tomato powder. Ethyl acetate with soxhlet extract has comparatively high content of lycopene i.e. 1.07 mg /100 g of F.W which is significantly more than ethyl acetate with normal extract i.e. 0.86 mg /100 g F.W. Ethyl acetate extract has the highest content of β-carotene (3.84 mg /100 g F.W) which is significantly more than ethyl acetate with soxhlet extract but ethyl acetate with soxhlet extract i.e. 1.59 mg/100 g has a comparatively high content of β-carotene than acetone - petroleum ether extract (0.52 mg/100 g F.W). Soxhlet extract contained comparatively higher content of total phenolic content (i.e. 118.08 mg /100 g F.W. with tannic acid reference standard in n-hexane: ethanol (4:3) solvent extract) than normal solvent extract. Conclusions: Hexane: ethanol: acetone (2:1:1) solvent extract contain highest quantity of lycopene. Ethyl acetate extract has the highest content of β-carotene and Soxhlet extract contained comparatively higher of total phenolic content.