Valorisation of Tomato Processing Waste for Enhanced Lycopene Recovery Using Fungal Pectinase

Lycopene is a potent antioxidant and natural carotenoid pigment known for its health-promoting properties, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The present study explores an eco-friendly approach for lycopene extraction from tomato peels using fungal pectinase. Commercial enzyme preparations exhibiting pectinolytic activity were screened for their ability to disrupt plant cell walls and enhance lycopene release. Enzymatic incubation followed by solvent extraction was performed using hexane, ethyl acetate, and a hexane–acetone–ethanol mixture (50:25:25, v/v). Under optimized conditions, enzyme-assisted extraction resulted in a 77–98% increase in lycopene recovery compared to mechanical extraction. Lycopene was also successfully recovered from fruit pulper waste and industrial tomato residues, demonstrating the potential of this method for sustainable pigment recovery from agro-industrial by-products. The study highlights the synergistic effect of enzymatic bioprocessing and solvent optimization in the valorisation of tomato waste for nutraceutical applications. The fungal pectinase used in this study was derived from Aspergillus niger, which demonstrated high pectinolytic activity and superior efficiency compared to other isolates. The use of mixed solvent systems, particularly hexane:acetone: ethanol, significantly enhanced lycopene extraction efficiency compared to single-solvent systems while improving process effectiveness. Furthermore, this eco-friendly approach offers economic advantages by utilizing low-cost agro-industrial waste, reducing solvent consumption, and lowering overall processing costs, making it highly suitable for industrial-scale applications.