ipl-logo

Carotenoids Research Paper

774 Words4 Pages

Carotenoids are a family of pigmented compounds that are synthesized by plants and microorganisms Carotenoids are a family of pigmented compounds that are synthesized by plants and microorganisms but not animals. In plants, they contribute to the photosynthetic machinery and protect them against photo-damage (Rao and Rao, 2007). Carotenoids are synthesized de novo not only in all photosynthetic organisms, such as plants (including algae) and cyanobacteria but also in some non-photosynthetic bacteria and fungi (Lu and Li, 2008). It is estimated that nature produces about 100 million tons of carotenoids annually (Rodriguez-Amaya, 1997). Carotenoids represent a diverse group of pigments widely distributed in nature. They contribute to the red, …show more content…

This produced the parent C40 carbon skeleton from which all the individual variations are derived (Britton, 1995). Carotenoids are hydrophobic, lipophilic substances, and are virtually insoluble in water. They dissolve in fat solvents such as acetone, alcohol, ethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and chloroform. Carotenes are readily soluble in petroleum ether and hexane. Xanthophylls dissolve best in methanol and ethanol. In plants and animals, carotenoids occur as crystals or amorphous solids, in solution in lipid media, in colloidal dispersion, or combined with protein in an aqueous phase (Rodriguez-Amaya, …show more content…

Synthetic astaxanthin and canthaxanthin are chemically identical to the naturally occurring compounds in aquatic animals. Pigmentation strength of canthaxanthin is only half of that of astaxanthin (Hertrampf and Piedad-Pascual, 2000). Carotenoid synthesis is a highly regulated‚ integral part of chloroplast biogenesis and is intimately associated with the synthesis of other chloroplast components (i.e. lipids‚ proteins and chlorophylls). The major stimulus for carotenoid synthesis in greening leaf tissue is light (Oelmuller and Mohr‚1985)‚ however‚ some xanthophylls are also present in substantial amounts in etiolated tissues (Grumbach and Lichtenthaler‚ 1982)‚ indicating a large portion of the pathway is operational in the absence of light (Frank et al,

Show More
Related
558 Words | 3 Pages

These findings show that the null hypothesis is rejected, and that there is a major difference between the observed and expected values. It is also observed that in the data in Figure 1.1, as the concentration of the NaHCO3 increases, the greater the production of oxygen. The highest photosynthetic rate is in at a 1.0% concentration of NaHCO3and the lowest in at a 0.1% concentration of NaHCO3. It is also important to note that the 0.4% concentration of NaHCO3 had a greater oxygen production than the 0.6% concentration of NaHCO3.

Read More
1281 Words | 6 Pages

Cyanobacteria are able to absorb light at both short and long wavelengths whereas Chlorobi can only absorb light at long wavelengths. In the reaction center of cyanobacteria, oxygen is produced whereas the reaction center of Chlorobi does not generate oxygen. How do Green Bacteria overcome the low light conditions at which they are often found? Green bacteria have large chlorosomes which are composed of bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoids. These pigments are responsible for absorbing light at long wavelengths.

Read More
593 Words | 3 Pages

All organisms use food molecules, like glucose to produce ATP. The production of ATP occurs during cellular respiration. ATP provides the cells with energy that is necessary to produce oxygen. The seeds/plants are autotrophic organisms, which produce their food from the energy that the light provides them. To release the stored energy within the food molecules, the germinated seeds carry out respiration and the release of carbon dioxide.

Read More
1169 Words | 5 Pages

Hypothesis: If four lights (UV Light, LED Light, Infrared Light, and Blue Light) are used to perform photosynthesis on a spinach leaf, then the spinach will respond most to the blue light and perform a more efficient photosynthetic process.

Read More
420 Words | 2 Pages

photosynthesis and cellular respiration are extremely important in the cycle of energy to sustain life simply because nutrients would not metabolize in a productive manner. Both have numerous stages in which the process of energy occurs, and relationships with organelles located in the eukaryotic cell. Photosynthesis is a process by which green plant and other organism manufacture their food using sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water while cellular respiration is the oxidation of organic compounds that occurs within cells, producing energy for cellular processes. Photosynthesis occurs within organelles called chloroplasts. These organelles can absorb light, and are located inside of leaves.

Read More
518 Words | 3 Pages

Luckily, people have found many cures for all types of cancer. Amazingly, there are over two hundred cures discovered in the past thousands of years (News Medical Life Sciences). As well, there are categories of cancer treatments, and a popular one is chemotherapy. According to Dictionary.com, chemotherapy is, “the treatment of disease by means of chemicals that have a specific toxic effect upon the disease-producing microorganisms of that selectively destroy cancerous tissue” (Dictionary.com). In other words, chemotherapy is used with chemicals to treat diseases.

Read More
1142 Words | 5 Pages

During exercise, the quickest way to obtain energy (ATP) is through phosphocreatine reserves, but it does not last long enough compared to the others. The following metabolic process is anaerobic oxidation of carbohydrates. Blood glucose or glycogen are used to get glucose-6-phosphate and by glycolysis pyruvate is obtained and this is coverted to acetyl CoA for Krebs Cycle, to obtain ATP. In order to maintain a high level of glycogen storage and maintain it during exercise, diet must be high in carbohydrate.

Read More
1617 Words | 7 Pages

Next, the amount of seedlings in the tray that expressed a green or white phenotype were both counted. The group observed that there were eleven total seedlings; eight of those seedlings were green and the three remaining were white. The next step in the experiment was to add up the class totals of green to albino seedlings, as shown in table 1. After determining a group phenotype ratio of 8:3 and a class ratio of 42:10, the group questioned what defect the white plants could have that might make the seedlings appear albino instead of green. The students concluded that a lack of chloroplast could explain why some of the seedlings were albino. The lab partners also decided that for a recessive, albino phenotype to be expressed, GG, Gg, and gg had to be the genotypes of the seedlings.

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

1.4. Lipoproteins Lipoprotein is a biochemical molecule that composed of both proteins and lipids, and through which fats move through the bloodstream. Lipoproteins, act as transport vehicles for triacylglycerol and cholesterol in the plasma as lipids are hydrophobic macromolecules that are insoluble in water [117]. 1.4.1. Lipoproteins Structure Lipids, such as cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids, are not soluble in aqueous solution.

Read More
1072 Words | 5 Pages

To have a healthy body is one of the things that many of us wish to fulfill. Nevertheless, we don't take accountability of the bad decisions that we often choose to do. Having a toned and healthy body does not only requires diets and exercises, it also requires that we provide for our bodies the necessary and the right amounts of vitamins and nutrients. Two these essential nutrients are the micronutrients and water. On this paper, I would be comparing the two different types of micronutrients and water to my Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).

Read More
1022 Words | 5 Pages

Chloroplasts are organelles that carry on photosynthesis; carbon dioxide diffuses into the chloroplasts in the leaves (Mader, S. 2010). Sugar and oxygen are released during the process. In order to photosynthesize, plants depend on light energy from the sun. The rate of photosynthesis will increase or decrease depending on the colour of light being absorbed, blue light results in the most photosynthesis occur and green light results in no photosynthesis occurring.

Read More
1621 Words | 7 Pages

This being that through the concentrations 40% to 10% the absorption of the solute was rather low, although some spikes on the Ethanol, although an increase in the absorption at 40% in Methanol, which could show the beginning of the required concentration for the membrane to break down and let out the pigment. This could be due to that the Ethanol and Methanol was not able to disrupt the lipid bilayer and absorb the beetroots membrane that gives it it’s pigment. This showing that the time or concentration of the Ethanol and Methanol was not long or high enough for the pigment to be absorbed into the solution making the absorbance really low as there was barely any colour change on the solute. The membrane although not reacting with alcohol present and it making the water less polar, it is evident that the membrane is soluble in water and the levels are higher as the membrane was able to be absorbed by the water, increasing the solutes absorption. Propanol on the other hand was able damage the membrane with a concentration of 20% up, which caused at least 3 times the absorption rate.

Read More
1034 Words | 5 Pages

They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include: Beta-carotene: is a water soluble precursor to vitamin A, but is an antioxidant in itself. Foods containing high levels of carotene are fruit, vegetables, eggs and specially carrots. Flavonoids: act as antioxidants by directly scavenging free radicals, chelating reactive elements such as iron, or by inhibiting oxidative enzymes .No daily requirement for flavanoids has been established, but a balanced diet containing fresh fruit, vegetables, tea, berries is recommended.

Read More
1735 Words | 7 Pages

CARBOHYDRATES Carbohydrates are the most abundant biomolecules on Earth. Each year, photosynthesis converts more than 100 billion metric tons of CO2 and H2O into cellulose and other plant products. Carbohydrates are widely distributed in plants and animals; they have important structural and metabolic roles. In plants, glucose is synthesized from carbon dioxide and water by photosynthesis and stored as starch or used to synthesize the cellulose of the plant cell walls. Animals can synthesize carbohydrates from amino acids, but most are derived ultimately from plants.

Read More
788 Words | 4 Pages

The seeds from avocado constitute a high percent in this fruits (13-25%) depending of varieties, which commonly are discarded as industrial waste [6]. These seeds contain an important amount of starch (27-30%), besides lower quantities of pigments and oils. Thus, new studies regarding the physicochemical properties of this biopolymer are required [4,7-9].

Read More

More about Carotenoids Research Paper

Open Document