Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and other red fruits,
and is the most common carotenoid in the human body. Its name is derived from the
tomato's species classification, Lycopersicon esculentum. Ironically, the highest
natural concentrations of lycopene in food are found not in tomatoes, but in
watermelon.
Due to its ubiquity, lycopene has been licensed for use as a food coloring. Research
has shown it is a powerful antioxidant, with associated health benefits. The potency
of lycopene as an antioxidant is increased by food processing. For example cooking
tomatoes (as in the canning process) increases the bioavailability of lycopene and
promotes isomerisation to antioxidant forms of the chemical.
Lycopene is not water-soluble and instantly stains any sufficiently porous material,
including most plastics. While a tomato stain can be fairly easily removed from
fabric (provided the stain is fresh), discolored plastic defies all efforts to drive
out the lycopene with hot water, soap, or detergent. (Bleach will destroy lycopene,
however.) Plastics are especially susceptible to staining if heated, scratched,
oiled, or pitted by acids (such as those found in tomatoes).
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