The marigold flower (Tagetes erecta) is one of the richest natural sources of xanthophylls, mainly lutein. Its saponified extract is
used as an additive in several food and pharmaceutical industries. However, the efficiency in the xanthophylls extraction from this
natural source depends heavily upon an appropriate prior treatment, given to the flower, to increase wall-cells permeability and
facilitate the diffusive mechanisms of mass exchange between immiscible phases during the lixiviation process. In this work, the effect
of different treatments on marigold flower to increase the xanthophylls extraction efficiency is studied. The results clearly indicate the
interrelation that exists between the treatment and the extraction. It is shown that almost full recovery of the xanthophylls contents
can be achieved when the marigold is treated with hydrolytic enzymes synthesized by microbiota associated to marigold flowers.
These results have significant impact on the cost-efficiency of the process.
2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.