摘要：In recent decades it is found that carotenoids have anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, anti-atherogenic properties, and immunomodulating, radioprotective and anti-toxic effects. Discovered effect of carotenoids and lycopene, in particular, can be used to develop recommendations for prevention and treatment of those who are subjected to emergency situations of radiation and biological nature. This paper deals with spectrophotometery method for determining relative content of carotenoids in tomatoes of different ripeness levels. It is demonstrated that a wide complex absorption band within the wavelength ranging from 3500 to 6500 Å is superposition of absorption bands for specific carotenoid pigments, which are a part of in vivo tomato pulp samples. According to additivity law of absorbency, the area under obtained curves represents value directly proportional to the thickness of layer under investigation and total concentration of carotenoids that allows to identify relative content of carotenoids in examined samples. It was concluded that developed method of samples preparing for measurements and the spectrophotometery method itself for determining the relative content of carotenoids in research tomatoes, as well as waste raw materials and oil cake, has shown a sufficient reliability, high speed and economic viability.
