CHAPTER X 

 Carotenoid hydrocarbons of known constitution 



I. LYCOPENE C^qH^q 



History 



1873 Hartsen^ isolates a dark-red crystalline pigment, later identified as 

 lycopene, from Tamus communis L. 



1875 MiLLARDET^ obtains impure lycopene, which he terms solanorubin, from 

 tomatoes. 



1903 ScHUNCK^ shows that the pigment from tomatoes, which he terms lyco- 

 pene, has an absorption spectrum different from that of carotene. 



1910 WiLLSTATTER and EscHER^ make a detailed investigation of lycopene. 

 They determine the correct molecular formula C^oHgg, and recognise that 

 lycopene is an isomer of carotene. 



1928-31 Karrer and co-workers^ elucidate the constitution of lycopene. 



1932 KuHN and Grundmann^ carry out the chromic acid oxidation of lyco- 

 pene and obtain long-chain degradation products, the constitution of 

 which confirms the formula of lycopene. 



Occurrence 



Recent investigations employing the highly refined chromatographic method 

 of separation have shown that the tomato pigment is much more widely 

 distributed in nature than was formerly believed. The frequent occurrence of 

 lycopene in ripe fruit is especially striking (cf. p. 119 concerning the formation 

 of the pigment during the ripening process). Lycopene is also found in other 

 parts of plants and in animal sources, though often only in small quantities. 



TABLE 29 



VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL SOURCES FROM WHICH LYCOPENE HAS BEEN ISOLATED 



Source ^ References 



a) Fruit of: 



Actinophloeus Macarthurii J. Zimmerman, Rec. Trav. chini. 51 (1932) 1001. 

 Bryonia dioica Jacq. A. Winterstein and U. Ehrenberg, Z. physiol. 



Chem. 207 (1932) 25, 32. 



References p. 165-ijo. 

 Carotenoids 8 



