Supercritical CO2 Extraction of β-Carotene and Lycopene from Tomato Paste Waste

Abstract

Lycopene and β-carotene were extracted from tomato paste waste using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂). To optimize supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) results for the isolation of lycopene and β-carotene, a factorial designed experiment was conducted. The factors assessed were the temperature of the extractor (35, 45, 55, and 65 °C), the pressure of the extraction fluid (200, 250, and 300 bar), addition of cosolvent (5, 10, and 15% ethanol), extraction time (1, 2, and 3 h), and CO₂ flow rate (2, 4, and 8 kg/h). The total amounts of lycopene and β-carotene in the tomato paste waste, extracts, and residues were determined by HPLC. A maximum of 53.93% of lycopene was extracted by SC-CO₂ in 2 h (CO₂ flow rate = 4 kg/h) at 55 °C and 300 bar, with the addition of 5% ethanol as a cosolvent. Half of the initially present β-carotene was extracted in 2 h (flow rate = 4 kg/h), at 65 °C and 300 bar, also with the addition of 5% ethanol. Keywords: Lycopene; carotene; tomato paste waste; extraction; supercritical CO₂; cosolvent