The summary of lycopene

Lycopene ,a kind of important carotenoid,widely distributed in nature,content higher in the mature red fruit crop.such as tomatoes, carrots, watermelon,highest in tomato ,each 100g content of up to 3 ~ 14mg.

In addition, lycopene content and plant fruit maturity has a direct positive relationship.The relative molecular mass of lycopene was 536.85.Molecular formula is C40H56, containing 11 conjugated double bonds and 2 non conjugated double bond.Easily soluble in chloroformand benzene,can soluble in ether and acetone,hardly insoluble in methanol and ethanol, insoluble in water. Natural plant lycopene almost exsit in trans structure form, after entering the animal body lycopene exist isomers , but with more cis isomers .

In the animal body, lycopene by intestinal absorption and plasma chylomicron binding into lymphatic, then with the blood circulation distributed to all of the tissues of the body organs, but mainly accumulated in low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein, but present more  in the liver, testes, adrenal gland other tissues and organs.