ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Comparative study on solvent-assisted and oil-assisted lycopene extraction: process efficiency and techno-economic feasibility

Kanchan A. Nandeshwar, Shyam M. Kodape, and Ajit P. Rathod

Department of Chemical Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India

E-mail: smkodape@che.vnit.ac.in

Received: 29 April 2025  Accepted: 16 January 2026

Abstract:

This study presents a comparative analysis of solvent-assisted extraction (SAE) and oil-assisted extraction (OAE) of lycopene, focusing on extraction efficiency and techno-economic feasibility. The lycopene was extracted using oil and solvent further processed to obtain a 10% lycopene formulation as final product. A techno-economic analysis was conducted to evaluate capital investment, operational costs, and economic returns. The total capital investment for SAE and OAE was $4,890,133 and $4,487,568, respectively, with annual operating costs of $40,965,630 (SAE) and $5,835,191 (OAE). The payback period for SAE was shorter (2.69 years) compared to OAE (4.31 years), but the net present value at 7% interest was comparable ($6,934,365 for SAE and $4,889,587 for OAE). While SAE provided higher yields, its higher operational costs and energy-intensive solvent recovery process made it less economically viable. In contrast, food grade ethanol-assisted OAE proved to be a cost-effective and scalable alternative, reducing processing complexity and offering higher profitability margins. These findings support the industrial potential of OAE as a food-grade approach for sustainable lycopene extraction.

Keywords: Lycopene extraction; Solvent-assisted extraction; Oil-assisted extraction; Techno-economic analysis; Green extraction; Food-grade solvents; Industrial scalability

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04681-0

Chemical Papers 80 (4) 4179–4192 (2026)