Enhancement of lycopene extraction from tomato peels by enzymatic treatment

Four food-grade enzyme preparations (Citrozym CEO and Ultra L, Peclyve EP and LI) with pectinolytic, cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities were investigated to assess their suitability for improving lycopene recovery from tomato peels. After a preliminary screening, the influence of solvent type and enzyme incubation time on the extraction efficiency was studied. Under the best conditions (1-h enzyme incubation followed by a 3-h solvent extraction at 40 °C) up to 440 mg of lycopene per 100 g of dry tomato peels were obtained. Experiments on the peel fraction of tomato processing waste confirmed the significant increase in yields resulting from the use of enzymes. Overall, lycopene recovery from the enzymatically treated material was between 70 and 98%, while yields from the untreated peels were in the range of 3–40%.