Lycopene nanoemulsions were prepared to protect the antioxidant activity and improve the bioaccessibility
of lycopene-enriched tomato extract (containing 6% of lycopene) by an emulsification–evaporation
method. Lycopene nanoemulsions, with droplet sizes between 100 and 200 nm, exhibited higher
anti-radical efficiency and antioxidant activity, than did those smaller than 100 nm. Strong protectability
of lycopene in droplets smaller than 100 nm was associated with relatively slower rates of DPPH and
ABTS reactions. In vitro bioaccessibility values of lycopene-enriched tomato extract, lycopene nanoemulsions
with droplets larger than 100 nm (approximately 150 nm on average), and lycopene nanoemulsions
with droplets smaller than 100 nm (69 nm on average) were 0.01, 0.53, and 0.77, respectively. Interestingly,
nanoemulsions with droplets smaller than 100 nm showed the highest in vitro bioaccessibility,
which could be interpreted as evidence of nanoemulsification enhancing the in vitro bioaccessibility of
lycopene