Chemistry of Lycopene
Lycopene is a major beneficial constituent
of tomato. It is a carotenoid pigment that
has long been associated with the deep red
color of many tomatoes. From various data
lycopene from orange and tangerine
colored tomatoes may actually be better
absorbed than the lycopene from red
tomatoes. That's because the lycopene in
deep red tomatoes is mostly trans-lycopene,
and the lycopene in orange, tangerine
tomatoes is mostly tetra-cis-lycopene.
Lycopene is a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon
(an unsubstituted alkene). Structurally, it is