Flow rate of CO2 did not have a significant effect on the lycopene. An increasing CO2 flow rate is known to increase the number of CO2 molecules contacting with the solute, thus increasing intermolecular interaction between CO2 and the solute, then increasing the solute dissolution (Machmudah et al., 2006a). In addition, an increasing CO2 flow rate may decrease the external mass transfer resistance. On the other hand, an increasing CO2 flow rate decreases residence time and as a result, interaction between CO2 and the solute becomes shorter. The higher flow rate may also cause a channeling effect, where the solvent is forced through the sample at such a high rate that it passes only around the solid matrix and is not able to diffuse through the pores within the sample. The increased CO2 flow also could cause the sample to compact and restrict CO2 movement into and out of the sample, reducing the amount of CO2 that comes in contact with the sample (Tonthubthimthong et al., 2001). Based on the contrary reasons above, it is clear that the extraction process was limited by the solubility of solute in the supercritical CO2.