Antioxidant Activity of Lycopene from Papaya

Ms. Harini R & Dr. V. Judia Harriet Sumathy
Postgraduate & Research Department of Biotechnology, Women’s Christian College, Chennai – 600 006.

A B S T R A C T
A modern life style keeps people away from healthy diet. For healthy dietary habits one should increase the consumption of food products which are helpful in the prevention of illness. Fruits and vegetables are main source of natural antioxidant components. Antioxidants give protection against harmful free radicals and reduce rate of cancer and heart disease. The most efficient carotenoid antioxidant is Lycopene. Lycopene a natural pigment in papaya protects the body by neutralizing the negative effects of oxidants. Researches show that lycopene can be absorbed more efficiently by the body after it has been processed into juice, sauce, paste, or ketchup. In fresh fruit, lycopene is enclosed in the fruit tissue whereas in processed fruits it is more bio-available and increases the surface area for digestion. The present study is aimed at extracting Lycopene from Papaya and conducting Antioxidant studies using DPPH method.
Keywords: Lycopene, Fruits and Vegetables, Papaya, DPPH and Natural Antioxidant Property.