Carotenoids (carotenes and xanthophylls) are ubiquitous constituents of living organisms. They are protective agents against oxidative stresses and serve as modulators of membrane microviscosity. As antioxidants they can protect photosynthetic organisms from free radicals like reactive oxygen species that originate from water splitting, the first step of photosynthesis. We summarize the structu...

The carotenoid composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) fruits has been characterised in detail and quantified for the first time. According to the total carotenoid content (over 340 μg/g dw), mature strawberry tree berries can be classified as fruits with very high carotenoid content (>20 μg/g dw). (all-E)-Violaxanthin and 9Z-violaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoid pigments, a...

The pigmentation of the yolk of the egg and of the flesh (body fat) of poultry is a subject of much practical importance in the egg and poultry industry of this country. The consumer demands highly colored yolks in (‘fancy” eggs throughout the year, and the eggs with pale colored yolks, so frequently found on the market during the winter months, are the object of much complaint, particularIy in...

THE identification of the yellow plant pigments-carotene and xanthophyllwith certain lipochromes of the animal body has been established by Palmer and his co-workers and has formed the substance of an interesting series of investigations. Palmer and Eckles [1914, 1] first identified the yellow colouring matter of cow's milk with carotene accompanied by insignificant traces of xanthophyll. They ...

Plant Physiology is the branch of botany that explores and studies vital phenomena for permanence plants in different environments, addressing interdisciplinary contents. One fundamental contents discussed photosynthesis, a process by which some other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. This occurs photosystems, are made up accessory proteins pigments (chlorophyll a, chloroph...