Different Types of Lycopene – Organic, Natural and Synthetic

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Difference between Lycopene - Organic, Natural and Synthetic.

RED RIPE TOMATOES ARE THE MAIN SOURCE OF LYCOPENE and their derivatives are the main natural source of lycopene giving approximately 85% of all lycopene in the human body. The natural raw material can be used to create Organic or Natural Lycopene. Beside these two versions there is a Synthetic Lycopene which are products from chemicals.

The amount of lycopene in tomatoes depends on the quality of fruit, the environment, and the cultivation procedures. Usually, the content of lycopene in red-ripe tomatoes are 30-80 mg/kg of fresh product, but it could be more than 150-300 mg/kg in some selected species obtained by traditional hybridization techniques.

PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC LYCOPENE: The organic lycopene has a very strong antioxidant power, as antioxidant contrasts the destructive action of free radicals in the human body (which are seriously dangerous for the cells and tissues) protects and prevents against several diseases.

US Food & Drug Administration
  • Organic Lycopene
  • Natural Lycopene
  • Synthetic Lycopene
Organic Lycopene

Organic Lycopene made of organic Tomatoes and Free of chemical solvents

The production of Organic Lycopene starts with Organic Tomatoes. Strict EU regulation is in place to ensure that the raw materials are Organic Certified.  This means these Tomatoes can't be GMO or be grown with the use of pesticides.

The extraction of the Lycopene is done with the use of the patented Supercritical CO2 Process.

Our supplements have the Worlds only 100% Certified Organic Lycopene. Using Organic Lycopene results in higher bio availablity 

Innovative food supplement based on biological lycopene, which is the bulk product, i.e.the total extract, obtained by treating with supercritical carbon dioxide extraction matrix, made by 50% biological tomato berries and 50% biological dry fruits (almonds, nuts and the like) and/or other components, following a co-extractive technology. Tomatoes berries are conveniently de-hydrated milled and riddled, the co-extraction matrix (dry fruits, vegetables, others) is conveniently de-hydrated and milled. The obtained total extract is directly used for preparing lycopene base food supplements without any modification or additivation.

With respect to the known commercial food supplement, based on lycopene, cuch biological lycopenehas unique quality features: the total extract is 100% natural, absense of chemical solvents, lycopene concentration in the final natural formula (not artificial); absence dosing problems and contraindications. In the final product lycopene is mixed with with other natural antioxidants co-extracted from used vegetables.

The boxing up of the bulk product (total extract) is made in soft or hard caps in several shapes and colours  or in tables or in other way 

Natural Lycopene

Natural Lycopene made via extraction by Chemical Solvents.

The basis of Natural Lycopene is from natural raw materials (Tomatoes). There is no restriction on the raw materials and the tomatoes can be GMO based. Furthermore pesticides are being used to grow the tomatoes.

Lycopene is made by biosynthesis in vegetables and extracted via Chemical Solvents. This process leaves chemical solvents in the Natural Lycopene and these traces of impurities and chemical solvents are toxic for the body even in traces.

Lycopene Extraction: Solvent Extraction with Filter Medium.

Generally, solvent extraction is done with the liquid extraction and saponification. The solvents used are acetone, petroleum ether, chloroform, hexane, and so on. A six to eight ounce can of tomato paste, having a bright red color, is added to 250 ml of a solution of 30% potassium hydroxide in methyl alcohol. The mixture is shaken at intervals until well mixed and placed at 5°C overnight. Either the whole or a portion of the saponified paste is mixed with distilled water, and a sufficient filter aid is added to disperse the paste conveniently, which is then spread on a thinly filter-aid-precoated filte r paper (24 cm, no. 595 S&S) in a large suction funnel. The cake is washed with distilled water until it is approximately free of alkali, as shown by the almost colorless filtrate. Care should be take n to keep the cake cove
red with liquid. Washing may be completed in 10 to 15 minutes. If the cake separates from the funnel, the crack formed can be filled and sealed by a thin stream of a thick suspension of filter aid poured at the edge of the funnel. A tight seal is necessary for successful
washing and extracting.
 
The lycopene is extracted from the cake on the filter, which is held tightly at maximum suction, by acetone in charges of 50 to 75 ml. Approximately 300 ml of acetone per ounce of paste are required. To co unteract the effect of decreasing temperature resulting from rapid evaporation of acetone under reduced pressure, the acetone is heated to 35°C before extraction. The washing and extracting can be completed in 25 to 30 minutes, and the first one or two charges may be discarded because they contain little lycopene. The glittering red crystals of lycopene start forming at once in the filtrate and can be filtered off immediately after extraction. However, a better yield with less effort is obtained by letting the extract stand at low temperature (as low as 0°F) until the crystals settle to the bottom of a tall cylinder or bottle.
 
Most of the solution containing carotenes other than lycopene can be decanted. Lycopene in acetone deteriorates slowly at low temperatures.
 
In Useful and simple methods are routinely adopted in many laboratories, for example, the extraction of lycopene with acetone in a blender, and the extract placed in
a reparatory funnel and petroleum ether (40–60°C) is added giving two layers—the aqueous bottom layer and the petroleum layer. Distilled water is then added to dilute the aqueous layer, thereby enriching the petroleum ether layer with the carotene pigment.
 
This layer is separated and sponified with alcoholic alkali. Again phase separation is carried out, and the upper layer is dried in a reduced pressure vacuums rotatory evaporator. The carotene pigment is dissolved in n-hexane. Separation of the resultant pigments carried out either by column chromatography or thin layer giving two major bands: lycopene and β-carotene.
Synthetic Lycopene

Synthetic lycopene is made with chemically reactions and there are no natural materials (tomatoes) used.

Synthetic lycopene is prepared from synthetic intermediates that are commonly used in the
synthesis of other carotenoids used in food. The production process consists of several steps that may differ depending on the selection of the starting materials.

Typically, the final production step includes a Wittig-type condensation 1)The Wittig reaction or Wittig olefination is a chemical reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with a triphenyl phosphonium ylide -often called a Wittig reagent- to give an alkene and triphenylphosphine oxide. between two intermediate compounds, one of which is usually C10-dialdehyde, and the other is either lycopyl salt or another similar compound. Synthetic lycopene may contain low levels of triphenyl phosphine oxide (TPPO), apo-12’-lycopenal (known as lycopene C25-aldehyde), and other lycopene-related substances, such as 1,2-dihydro-1-hydroxylycopene (rhodopin) or 1,2-dihydro1-acetyllycopene (acetylrhodopin).

Synthetic lycopene may also contain residues of volatile solvents. This process gives a final product containing toxic and dangerous chemicals.

Our 100% Certified Organic Lycopene Supplements

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MAIN PROPERTIES OF LYCOPENE Like other carotenoids, lycopene has a strong antioxidant power. The antioxidants are able to contrast the destructive action of free radicals in the human body (which are seriously dangerous for the cells and tissues); they carry out a basic protective and preventive function against various diseases. Free radicals are by-products of cellular metabolic processes of the body. They play an important role in a number of biological processes, some of which are necessary for life, such as the intra cellular killing of bacteria. However, high quantities of free radicals could be very dangerous for the human body. Because of their extreme reactivity, free radicals can participate in deleterious side reactions resulting in cell damage. The targets of the destructive action of free radicals are the cellular components such as membrane lipids, nucleic acids and proteins.

CANCER AND FREE RADICALS Many types of cancers are probably the result of interactions between free radicals and DNA, resulting in mutations that can adversely affect the cell cycle and potentially lead to malignancy. Free radicals may also be involved in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, arthritis, diabete mellitus, dermatitis and other degenerative diseases.

OXIDATION OF THE SKIN DUE TO FREE RADICALS Some of the symptoms of aging such as atherosclerosis are also attributed to the oxidation of many of the chemicals constituting the body induced by free radicals.

FREE RADICALS ARE PART OF OUR LIFE Since free radicals are required for life, the body has a number of mechanisms to reduce their negative action and to repair damage which does occur such as the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. These endogenous systems need to be supported by the introduction of exogenous antioxidants with the diet which can play a key role in strengthening these defense mechanisms.

MAIN ANTIOXIDANTS The main antioxidants introduced with the diet are: carotenoids (lycopene , β-carotene, lutein, etc.), vitamins (A, C, E) and polyphenols (tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, etc.). An antioxidant acts in synergy with others, in a sort of regenerative chain or protection mechanism. Moreover, each antioxidant has a specific action on one or two free radical species, so it is important a complete and balanced diet in order to introduce a large range of antioxidants

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ The Wittig reaction or Wittig olefination is a chemical reaction of an aldehyde or ketone with a triphenyl phosphonium ylide -often called a Wittig reagent- to give an alkene and triphenylphosphine oxide.
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