Carotenoids: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Functions and Properties

Carotenoids are of great interest due to their essential biological functions in both plants and animals. However, the properties and functions of carotenoids in natural systems are surprisingly complex. With an emphasis on the chemical aspects of these compounds, Carotenoids: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Functions and Properties presents a broad overview and recent developments with respect to understanding carotenoid structure, electronic and photochemical properties, and the use of novel analytical methods in the detection and characterization of carotenoids and their actions. The text also explores LC/MS and LC/MS/MS techniques as well as new applications of PCR and molecular biology methodologies.

THE STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES, CHARACTERISTICS, AND INTERACTIONS OF CAROTENOIDS

The Orange Carotenoid Protein of Cyanobacteria, C. A. Kerfeld, M. Alexandre, and D.Kirilovsky

Carotenoids in Lipid Membranes, W.I. Gruszecki

Hydrophilic Carotenoids: Carotenoid Aggregates, H-R Sliwka, Vassilia Partali, and S.F. Lockwood

ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGIES FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF CAROTENOIDS

The Use of NMR Detection of LC in Carotenoid Analysis, K.Holtin and K. Albert

Quantitative Methods for the Determination of Carotenoids in the Retina, R.A. Bone, W. Schalch, and J.T. Landrum

Application of Resonance Raman Spectroscopy to the Detection of Carotenoids In Vivo, I.V. Ermakov, M. Sharifzadeh, P.S. Bernstein, and W. Gellermann

APPLICATIONS OF SPECTROSCOPIC METHODOLOGIES TO CAROTENOID SYSTEMS

Identification of Carotenoids in Photosynthetic Proteins: Xanthophylls of the Light Harvesting Antenna, A.V. Ruban

Effects of Self-Assembled Aggregation on Excited States, T. Polívka

Applications of EPR Spectroscopy to Understanding Carotenoid Radicals, L.D. Kispert, L. Focsan, and T. Konovalova

EPR Spin Labeling in Carotenoid–Membrane Interactions, W. K. Subczynski and J. Widomska

CHEMICAL BREAKDOWN OF CAROTENOIDS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

Formation of Carotenoid Oxygenated Cleavage Products, C.Caris-Veyrat

Thermal and Photochemical Degradation of Carotenoids, C.D. Borsarelli and A.Z. Mercadante

Antioxidant and Photoprotection Functions and Reactions Involving Singlet Oxygen and Reactive Oxygen Species

The Functional Role of Xanthophylls in the Primate Retina, W. Schalch, R.A. Bone, and J.T. Landrum

Properties of Carotenoid Radicals and Excited States and Their Potential Role in Biological Systems, R. Edge and G. Truscott

Carotenoid Uptake and Protection in Cultured RPE, M. Rózanowska and B. Róz

The Carotenoids of Macular Pigment and Bisretinoid Lipofuscin Precursors in Photoreceptor Outer Segments, J.R. Sparrow and S.R. Kim

CELL CULTURE METHODS APPLIED TO UNDERSTANDING CAROTENOID RECOGNITION AND ACTION

Mechanisms of Intestinal Absorption of Carotenoids: Insights from In Vitro Systems, E. H. Harrison

Competition Effects on Carotenoid Absorption by Caco- Cells, E. Reboul and P. Borel

THE CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF CAROTENE OXIDASES, CELL REGULATION, AND CANCER

Diverse Activities of Carotenoid Cleavage Oxygenases, E. K. Marasco and C. Schmidt-Dannert

Oxidative Metabolites of Lycopene and Their Biological Functions, J.R. Mein and X-D Wang

Lycopene Oxidation, Uptake, and Activity in Human Prostate Cell Culture, P.E. Bowen

Carotenoids as Modulators of Molecular Pathways Involved in Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis, P. Palozza, A. Catalano, and R. Simone

CAROTENOIDS AND CAROTENOID BIOCHEMISTRY IN ANIMAL SYSTEMS

Control and Function of Carotenoid Coloration in Birds: Selected Case Studies, K.J. McGraw and J. D. Blount

Transport of Carotenoids by a Carotenoid-Binding Protein in the Silkworm, T. Sakudoh and K. Tsuchida

Specific Accumulation of Lutein within the Epidermis of Butterfly Larvae, J.T. Landrum, D. Callejas, and F. Alvarez-Calderon