A Quantitative Assay for Lycopene That Utilizes Reduced Volumes of Organic Solvents

Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in watermelon, tomato, and red grapefruit and may exert positive effects on human health. Spectrophotometric and HPLC techniques are commonly employed for analysis of lycopene content in food sources. A rapid and inexpensive spectrophotometric assay for lycopene is presented. This method requires 80% less organic solvents for release and extraction of lycopene from watermelon than do the existing procedures. Comparative analyses for 105 watermelons from 11 cultivars yielded results equivalent to those provided by larger-volume spectrophotometric assay procedures. Limited numbers of assays suggest that this reduced volume method may be applicable for tomatoes and tomato products.