STUDIES ON EXTRACTION, ISOLATION AND APPLICATIONS OF LYCOPENE

: Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family of chemical substances. Lycopeneis similar to carotenoids is a natural fat soluble pigment. It is principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe fruits. It is found in certain plants and micro-organisms, which protect them against the toxic effect. The extraction of lycopene was carried using watermelon. The identification of isolated lycopene observed by using various tests like U.V spectroscopy and TLC. The U.V analysis results reportedhat the lycopene content in watermelon was0.6037 mg/ml. TLC analysis reported the Rf value of lycopene was 0.8857. It is reported that H 2 O 2 cause oxidative damage to the DNA and RNA. In this study lycopene employed to protect standard DNA and RNA sample from oxidative damage.It is concluded that lycopene had protective role in oxidative damage of DNA and RNA.