Analysis of Lycopene and β-Carotene in Tomato

Introduction

Lycopene is a red carotenoid pigment present in large quantities in red tomatoes. It has been reported that lycopene has a strong anti-oxidative effect that is more than 100 times as strong as that of vitamin E and more than twice as strong as that of β-carotene. Thus lycopene is attracting attention for its effects of preventing the so-called lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer and arteriosclerosis, as well retarding aging.

April 12, 2005 GMT