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A Rapid Hexane‐free Method for Analyzing Lycopene Content in Watermelon
Author(s) -
Davis A.R.,
Fish W.W.,
PerkinsVeazie P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2003.tb14160.x
Subject(s) - lycopene , chemistry , absorbance , hexane , food science , carotenoid , chromatography , flesh , absorption (acoustics) , extraction (chemistry) , linear relationship , colorimeter , materials science , mathematics , statistics , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics
Lycopene is a red carotenoid with antioxidant properties and potential health benefits. Current methods to assay lycopene content are time‐consuming and require organic solvents. This report discusses a rapid and reliable light‐absorption method to assay watermelon lycopene content that uses no organic solvents. Light absorption of 152 watermelon flesh purees was measured with a xenon flash colorimeter/spectrophotometer that can measure actual light absorption from opaque samples; results were compared with a hexane extraction method. The puree absorbance method gave a precise linear relationship (R 2 = 0.98) to lycopene content and was independent of lycopene concentrations or watermelon variety within the lycopene concentration measured (24 mg/g to 88 mg/g fresh weight).