Carotenoids are linear polyenes that occur in nature and are known to have powerful antioxidant properties. They react efficiently with the excited states of many organic molecules. In the photosynthetic apparatus of plants they quench reactive excited states that may be formed and release the energy as heat. In photodynamic therapy they may be used to ameliorate the associated skin photosensitivity that is a consequence of many photosensitizers. This protection may be either through reaction with the sensitizer triplet state or through quenching of singlet oxygen. Carotenoids also form relatively stable radical species and react efficiently with the hydroxyl radical, superoxide and the solvated electron. In cells they are associated with the lipid core of the cell membrane and are effective against lipid peroxidation. The importance of the thermodynamic properties of these compounds and their organization within biological systems is pivotal to understanding carotenoid antioxidant activity. The present paper reviews some recent work on the energy level of (beta) -carotene, electron transfer involving the one electron reduced species and the resonance Raman spectra of some carotenoids in micellar solution.

Date Published: 22 May 1995
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 2391, Laser-Tissue Interaction VI, (22 May 1995); doi: 10.1117/12.209885

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2391:
Laser-Tissue Interaction VI
Steven L. Jacques, Editor(s)