Lycopene vs β-Carotene: what is the difference?

How they differ

These two carotenoids have the identical formula, C40H56, and identical weight, and they differ only in that beta-carotene closes rings at both ends while lycopene stays open. That ring is what makes beta-carotene a vitamin A precursor and lycopene not one: the body cuts the molecule at its centre and needs the ring to make retinol. Colour follows the same structural difference, lycopene reading red in tomato and watermelon and beta-carotene orange in carrot. Both are fat soluble, so both are absorbed better with oil, and lycopene is unusual in becoming more available after cooking, which is why processed tomato products carry more usable lycopene than raw tomatoes.

Side by side

Common questions

What is the difference between Lycopene and β-Carotene?

These two carotenoids have the identical formula, C40H56, and identical weight, and they differ only in that beta-carotene closes rings at both ends while lycopene stays open. That ring is what makes beta-carotene a vitamin A precursor and lycopene not one: the body cuts the molecule at its centre and needs the ring to make retinol. Colour follows the same structural difference, lycopene reading red in tomato and watermelon and beta-carotene orange in carrot.

Do Lycopene and β-Carotene have the same formula?

Yes. Both are C40H56 at 536.9 g/mol. They are isomers: the same atoms arranged differently, which is why they behave differently despite weighing the same.