Subcritical Regulation of Ethanol Polarity for Green, Efficient, and Integrated Extraction and Crystallization of Lycopene

Lycopene is widely used as a nutraceutical ingredient due to its remarkable antioxidant efficacy. Natural lycopene extracted and purified from plant sources such as tomatoes is generally considered safer and more bioactive than synthetic alternatives. However, current extraction and purification processes are isolated from each other, heavy reliance on toxic organic solvents and solvent exchange, which complicates the production process. Herein, we innovatively propose a reversible solvent polarity regulation mechanism for one step production of natural lycopene. Under subcritical conditions, ethanol’s polarity decreases, enabling it to replace toxic organic solvents such as ethyl acetate as an efficient extraction medium. Upon returning to ambient or lower temperatures, ethanol’s polarity increases markedly, promoting lycopene crystallization and purification─all without solvent exchange. The obtained lycopene product exhibited a purity of 9.06% and a Z-isomer content of 52.07%, demonstrating enhanced solubility and antioxidant activity. Life cycle assessment (LCA) further confirmed that the integrated process has a lower environmental impact compared to conventional methods. Therefore, the integrated process can be regarded as an efficient and green strategy for the production of lipophilic active ingredients include lycopene.