Lutein extraction from tomato peels and its evaluation of heat stability

Lutein, a yellow xanthophyll, is a very important nutritional compound in human diet because of its positive effects in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. In this study a rapid and food-grade solvent extraction for lutein content was performed on tomato peel, provided by a local tomato processing factory, with an extraction yield of lutein equal to 11.5 μg/gdm. In order to evaluate its potential use as diet supplements in the preparation of functional foods the extract was heated at 50 and 100°C for 40 min and lutein percentage decrease was recorded. Heating of the extracts caused a progressive reduction of lutein, up to 30.7 and 62.8% at the end of heating for both temperatures. The colour at the end of heat treatment showed small changes, with perceptible total colour differences (ΔE) only for heating at high temperature.