Ultrasonication – A complementary ‘green chemistry’ tool to biocatalysis: A laboratory-scale study of lycopene extraction

Abstract

Lycopene is bequeathed with multiple bio-protective roles, primarily attributed to its unique molecular structure. The concomitant exploitation of two of the green chemistry tools viz., sonication and biocatalysis is reported here for the laboratory scale extraction of lycopene from tomato peel. The coupled system improved the extraction by 662%, 225% and 150% times over the unaided, only cellulase 'Onozuka R-10' treated and only sonication treated samples respectively. The sonication parameters (duration, cycle and amplitude) during the coupled operation were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Derivative UV-visible spectra (i.e., dA/dλ and d(2)A/dλ(2) against λ), FTIR analysis, and DPPH scavenging test suggested that the reported extraction protocol did not affect the molecular structure and bioactivity of the extracted lycopene. The influence of sonication on the probable structural modulation (through UV-visible spectral analysis) and activity of the enzyme were also analyzed. A plausible mechanism is proposed for the enhanced extraction achieved via the coupled system.

New Developments in Lycopene Analysis by Spectroscopic and Chromatographic Techniques, Accompanied With Mathematical Modelling

“…Only cellulase treatment resulted in an increment of about 225% of lycopene (260 mg/g) over the untreated sample. 5% (w/w) of the biocatalyst and an incubation period of 20 min were found optimal for maximal lycopene extraction from the samples [205]. This method works in accordance with green chemistry as it does not involve the use of organic solvents for the extraction of lycopene.…”

Natural Origin Lycopene and Its “Green” Downstream Processing

“…Microwaves are electromagnetic waves in the frequency range 0.3 to 300 GHz, which can penetrate into certain materials and interact with the polar components to generate heat. Microwave energy acts The simultaneous application of two of the green chemistry tools, namely sonication and biocatalysis, is also reported to improve extraction of lycopene from tomato peel (Konwarh et al, 2012). In this case an significant increment in the enzyme (cellulase 'Onozuka R-10')-mediated extraction of lycopene was recorded.…”

“…Lycopene and its oxidation products are present in human milk and other body fluids. Human seminal plasma also contains lycopene and its levels were found to be lower in immunoinfertile men compared to normal individuals (Rao et al, 2006 13 In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, lycopene is thought to possess some other important biological properties, including induction of apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation and increase in gap-junctional communication (Konwarh et al, 2012 ;Rao et al, 2006), which are constantly vouching for its inclusion in functional foods and nutraceuticals.…”

“…Indeed, lycopene extractability from tomato peels by conventional food-grade organic solvents is extremely low, at least under the conditions that normally preserve the activity of the carotenoid in vivo. The main reason is the cellular localization of lycopene into the peels, which is deeply embedded within the chromoplast complex membrane structure (Konwarh et al, 2012; Karabelas, 2012; Ranveer et al, 2013). In addition, the progressive removal of water during the manufacturing process leads to a partial collapse of the polysaccharide material network, hindering solvent penetration and lycopene extraction.…”

Enzyme-assisted extraction of carotenoids from Bulgarian tomato peels

“…Recently, it was reported that initial enzymatic pretreatment of tomato peels followed by surfactant-assisted extraction resulted in extraction yields ten times as high as those of untreated peels (PAPAIOANNOU & KARABELAS, 2012). Enzyme pretreatment was effi ciently combined with sonication and SC-CO 2 extraction for tomato lycopene recovery (KONWARH et al, 2012;LENUCCI et al, 2015). A thorough knowledge of enzymes, their mode of action, and the conditions for their optimum activity, together with selection of the right types of enzymes, are essential for their effi cient usage for extraction purposes (SOWBHAGYA & CHITA, 2010).…”