Carotenoids enzymatic extraction

A more difficult problem to overcome is the overestimation of carotenoid concentrations in processed foods due to the usually more efficient extraction of carotenoids in such foods as a result of the denaturation of the carotenoid-protein complexes and cell damage. In addition, weight changes due to loss or gain of water or fat, enzymatic oxidation of carotenoids in raw samples, and leaching of soluble solids during processing should be considered. 

Saponification is often used to extract xanthophylls as well as remove chlorophylls and lipids from samples prior to analysis, as these compounds can interfere with the chromatographic detection. Although saponification with methanol and potassium hydroxide is routinely used to facilitate carotenoid extraction, numerous studies indicate that saponification can also result in losses of carotenoids. For example, Khachik et al.60 demonstrated that saponification actually caused the loss of total carotenoids in samples. Alternatively, enzymatic saponification using lipase can be used to help prevent the loss and isomerization of some carotenoids. Fang et al.32 suggested that saponification of plasma samples should be avoided to prevent unnecessary lycopene degradation. 

The enzymatic hydrolysis had also been tested as a pretreatment of chemical extraction in order to improve carotenoid recovery, and it was observed that it... 

Delgado-Vargas, F and Paredes-Lopez, O (1997b) Effects of enzymatic treatments on carotenoid extraction from marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta). Food Chem., 58, 255—258. 

---