Lycopene vs β-Carotene: what is the difference?
Lycopene and beta-carotene share the formula C40H56, but only beta-carotene closes a ring at each end, and lycopene is red where beta-carotene is orange.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share. Aligned; 36 atoms differ, too many to mark as one group.
Side by side
| Lycopene | β-Carotene | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 536.9 g/molC40H56 | 536.9 g/molC40H56 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 0 | 0 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists | Not on our lists |
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Carotenoids | Carotenoids |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Plant | Plant |
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 446925 (Lycopene) and 5280489 (β-Carotene).
In more detail
Their weights are identical as well, and lycopene's chain stays open where beta-carotene's closes. 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.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Lycopene and β-Carotene?
- Lycopene and beta-carotene share the formula C40H56, but only beta-carotene closes a ring at each end, and lycopene is red where beta-carotene is orange.
- 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.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.