Effects of enzymatic treatments on carotenoid extraction from marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta)

Three techniques were used to quantitate total carotenoids extracted from fresh marigold flowers previously treated with a commercial enzyme; the shortest technique, based on carotenoid extraction with hexane, was selected to evaluate the efficiency of five commercial enzymes in the carotenoid extraction process. Fresh marigold treated with enzymes showed a higher susceptibility to pigment extraction than untreated samples, and the highest carotenoid yields were obtained using the enzyme ECONASE-CEP. This enzyme at 0.1% w/w increased extraction from 1.7 to 7.4 g/kg of marigold flower in dry weight; such treatments may enhance carotenoid extraction at the industrial level as well.