Abstract:

Recently, β-cyclodextrin inclusion has become a popular strategy to improve the stability of lycopene. In this study, lycopene was prepared into lycopene/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes by means of ultrasonic treatment. The preparation process was optimized by single factor and orthogonal array design experiments, in which the effects of ultrasonic power, ultrasonic treatment time and the molar ratio of lycopene to β-cyclodextrin on inclusion rate were explored, and the lycopene/ β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes prepared were subjected to stability evaluation. The optimal inclusion conditions determined were as follows: ultrasonic power, 250 W; ultrasonic treatment time, 25 min; and the molar ratio of lycopene to β-cyclodextrin, 1:150. A maximum inclusion rate of 73.6% was achieved under these conditions. The included lycopene exhibited a retention rate of 92.2% in 60 d. This study suggests that the preparation of lycopene/β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes under the assistance of ultrasonic seems to be a promising method for improving the stability of lycopene.

Key words: ultrasonic, lycopene, β-cyclodextrin, inclusion, stability