Lycopene: The need for better methods for characterization and determination

The healthy properties of lycopene – a red pigment present in tomato and other vegetables and fruits – make it a key carotenoid in the human diet. The present demand of high-purity lycopene for use in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and dye industries makes it essential to revisit its chemical characteristics, human absorption, transport and distribution in tissues, metabolism and, particularly, the analytical methods available for its extraction, separation, detection and preparative isolation. The aim of this state-of-the-art review of lycopene is to establish a starting point for the new research needed on this topic.