A total of 51 vegetables and fruits, commonly consumed agriculture products in Korea, were analyzed for their α-carotene, β- carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin contents as provitamin A. The beta-carotene content (μg/100 g) was high in a few green leaf vegetables such as coriander (5,924.07), gegeol radish leaf (5.855.72), and curried mallow (5,138.01), while α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin contents were not detected. The β-carotene in 8 kinds of 20 general vegetables was detected in the range of 214.06~1,437.67 μg/100 g, while α-carotene was detected at 460.17 μg/100 g in only old pumpkin. The β-cryptoxanthin was detected in the range of 106.55~315.49 μg/100 g in Japanese elm, watermelon, white cucumber, and lettuce. However, carotenoids were not detected in 10 kinds of agricultural products including oriental melon, potato, etc. In fruits, the beta-carotene contents ranged from 165.72~3,997.39 μg/100 g, showing maximum value in apple mango and minimum value in persimmon. The β-cryptoxanthin was detected at 232.22 μg/100 g in only passion fruit, while the α-carotene was detected at 77.25 μg/100 g in only darae. Thus, based on the analyzed results of carotenoids of agriculture products consumed or cultivated in Korea, and it was found that green leaf vegetables comprise high beta-carotene overall.

Carotenoids는 현재까지 약 600여 종류가 알려졌고 그들의 생리적인 특성은 비타민 A의 전구물질^1). 식품착색제^2). 광합성에서 보조색소^3), 광보호 작용^4), 레디칼의 ?칭효과^5), 항산화 작용^6), 항암작용^7), 치료 의약품^8), 그리고 면역활성^9)에 대하여 분야별로 수많은 논문들이 발표되었고 또 그 중요성도 널리 인정되어 왔다^10∼12) 본 총설에서는 carotenoids의 분류와 정제, 결정화 방법, 동정 및 정량법, 분광학적 특성, 작용기의 유기반응, 그리고 carotenoprotein의 분리 정제와 구성 성분의 분석 방법에 대하여 저자가 체험한 실험연구 결과들을^13∼26) 바탕으로 핵심 기술만을 서술하였다. 그러므로 이 분야를 연구하거나 천연물 화학 연구에 관심있는 독자들에게는 분자구조 결정이나 분석기술을 종합적으로 이해하는데 도움이 될 것으로 생각한다.

Penaeus orientalis 껍질에서 6종류의 carotenoids가 분리 정제되었다. β-carotene(3.1%), doradexanhin ester(16.1%). astaxanthin diester(54.8%) , zeaxanthin monoester(7.9%), astaxanthin monoester(12.4%) 그리고 astaxanthin(5.7%)의 함량과 구조들은 UV/VIS. IR, ^1H-NMR. MS 스펙트라와 검화반응. 아세탈화반응. 알릴릭그룹. 에폭시 반응 그리고 환원반응을 이용하여 결정되었다. Carotenoids와 에스테르 결합된 지방산들은 주로 C_(18:1), C_(16:0), C_(16:1)이고 나머지 지방산들도 소량 함유되었다.

To furnish basic data for the utilization of leaf mustard as a raw material of salted and fermented vegetable food, the contents of carotenoids and chlorophylls of Dolsan Leaf Mustard(DLM) were investigated. Total carotenoid content of DLM was 4.75 mg%, and the compositions were β-carotene(80.91%), lutein(13.07%), lutein epoxide(3.93%). The contents of chlorophyll a and b were 4.1 and 1.5 mg%, and leaf was 7.4- and 8.1-fold, respectively, higher than leaf stalk. The ratios of chlorophyll a/b in leaf (2.7:1) and leaf stalk(3.0:1) were similar to those of other vegetables.

Carotenoids are vital pigments responsible for yellow, orange and red color in plants. In Capsicum, capsanthin-capsorubin synthase (CCS), phytoene synthase (PSY), β-Carotene hydroxylase (CRTZ-2) and lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) were identified to be involved in the carotenoids synthesis pathway. Previously molecular markers based on the CCS and PSY genes have been developed to distinguish fruit colors in pepper. However these markers can distinguish fruit colors of limited pepper genotypes. Therefore, there is need of developing additional markers for accurate prediction of fruit colors using molecular markers. In this study carotenoids contents of 16 pepper accessions were analyzed and the CCS, PSY, CRTZ-2, LCYB genes were sequenced to identify the genes affecting the fruit color. Among all the analyzed carotenoids, capsanthin was accumulated in much higher amount in red and orange fruits (1100-2500 mAU·min and 30-500 mAU·min respectively) while violaxanthin (20-1200 mAU·min) was accumulated more in yellow fruits. Sequence analysis revealed that deletions and two frame shift mutations in CCS gene for yellow accessions. Frame shift mutations of the PSY gene were detected in two orange accessions. These results show that mutations in CCS and PSY genes affect the fruit colors of pepper, and markers can be developed using mutations of these genes.

Regarding carotenoids content, the genetic basis, heritability and combining ability in six red pepper inbred lines were investigated using full diallel crosses. Both additive and non-additive gene actions govern inheritance of carotenoids content. The mean square of array through variance and covariance analysis (Wr-Vr) was insignificant, which suggest that inbred lines involved in diallel cross may have no epistatic effects. The Vr/Wr graph revealed the influence of partial dominant gene action towards low carotenoids content and the absence of non-allelic interaction. The H2 component was smaller than the H1 and the [H2/4H1] component was 0.187 less than 0.25, indicating unequal proportion of positive and negative alleles in the parents. The estimates of broad and narrow sense heritability for carotenoids content were 0.956 and 0.832, respectively. The variance of general combining ability (GCA) was relatively higher than that of specific combining ability (SCA), which implied that the additive gene effects were predominant as compared to both dominant and epistatic effects for the accumulation of carotenoids in this genetic population. The values of GCA of ‘62024L1’ and ‘62067L2’ were higher than those of the other parents. These 2 inbred lines, therefore, can be considered as useful breeding materials to enhance fruit carotenoids content in other red pepper varieties.

Suspended and sinking particles were collected during ODP Leg 119 to the Indian Ocean sector of the Antarctic Ocean. Field work was carried out at four sampling sites in Prydz Bay. Two of these sites were located in the Outer Bay, and two in the Inner Bay. At the four locations, a total of ten deployments of a sediment trap array were made. The concentrations of carotenoids both in suspended and sinking particulate matter in Prydz Bay were analyzed using HPLC. Fucoxanthin was the dominant carotenoid pigments both in suspended and sinking particles. The present study also indicates that 19'-hexanoyoxyfucoxanthin-containing prymesiophytes (Phaeocystis spp.) was abundant in the study area. The flux rates of carotenoids were generally highest at 50 m, and approximately double the flux rates at deeper horizons, however, at Inner Bay sites, the mean flux rates of carotenoids were greatest at 200 m, and 3 times greater than that of 50 m. Such anomalous high fluxes at 200 m imply that grazers were locally abundant between 100 m and 200 m at these sites close to land, and this hypothesis is supported by visual evidence of lots of fecal pellets in the 200 m trap. Integrates standing stocks versus sinking pigments data support that particulate material in Prydz Bay was not recycled rapidly.

There are many evidences that carotenoids may act as antioxidants and protect humans from serious disorders such as skin degeneration and aging, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and age-related diseases of the eye. Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are consumed as an important dietary source of b-carotene, a-carotene and lutein. Astaxanthin, a keto-carotenoid has been used to raise red color of fish body and to improve immune activity in fish-breeding industry. In this study, transgenic carrot plants were generated to overproduce carotenoids including astaxanthin, a non-natural ketocarotenoid in this plant, using an efficient storage root-expression system. Among the nineteen transgenic carrot plants, transformed by a storage root-specific (ibMads) or a storage root (ibAGP1) or the constitutive CaMV35S promoters with three genes involved in carotenoid synthesis [Psy (Phytoen synthase), Crtl (Lycopen-β-cyclase), CrtO (β-carotene ketolase)], transgenic plants with ibAGP1 promoter, an amyloplast targeting sequence (TP1) and a single CrtO gene gave high content of keto-carotenoids and b-carotene. For fish body coloration, carotenoid extract or astaxanthin significantly made the body color of red seabreams more reddish than those of normal diet-fish in the 3 weeks feeding. In addition, the serum lysozyme activity in carotene-treated fish was significantly higher than that in normal diet-fed fish (P<0.05) in the 6 weeks feeding. In these cases, neither carotenoid extract- nor astaxanthin-contained diet did influence on growth rate and food utilization in red seabreams. These results suggested that carotenoid extract prepared in the present study may be useful in the body coloration and the enhancement of nonspecific immune response of red seabreams. Meanwhile, b-carotene (50 mM) up-regulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor a expression (PPAR-a) by about two fold in CV-1 cells, while the carotenoid extracts and astaxanthin failed to affect on the expression. Carotenoid extracts (250 mg/ml) from wild type carrot or transgenic carrots showed moderate DPPH scavenging activity.

Carrots (Daucus carota L.) are consumed as an important dietary source of provitamin A including β-carotene, α-carotene and lutein. An HPLC method was applied to determine the content of the carotenoid composition in carrot cutivars cultivated in Korea. HPLC analyses were carried out with five carrot cultivars (Socheon-5-chon, Hongsim-5-chon, Myeongju-5-chon, Seonhongbom-5-chon and Betarich) sown at April, 2007 and six cultivars (Yeoreum-5-chon, Hanyeoreum-5-chon, Sinheukjeon-5-chon, Bibariheukjeon, Manina and Betarich) sown at August of the same year. In general, the former varieties are not used for the sowing at summer because of their bolting (growth of floral axis). The former and the latter carrots were harvested after 110 and 96 days from seeding, respectively, and the carotenoids were extracted with acetone after freeze-drying. The amount of α-carotene (117.7∼205.3 μg/g・DW) was similar to that of β-carotene (113.1∼189.6 μg/g・ DW) for the carrot cultivars sown at spring, while the content (46.2∼71.1 μg/g・DW) was about a half of β-carotene content (92.5∼140.2 μg/g・DW) for the latter cultivars. In addition, the average content of lutein (25.2 μg/g・DW) in the former cultivars was eight times higher than that in the latter cultivars (3.1 μg/g・DW). Among the spring cultivation types, Socheon-5-chon and Myeongju-5-chon showed higher amount of α-carotene and β-carotene, while the higher amount was determined in Yeoreum-5-chon and Sinheukjeon-5-chon among the autumn cultivation types. Validation of the HPLC-DAD method showed good linearity (r2 > 0.997) of the three compounds analyzed in a wide concentration range (0.025∼20 μg/ml). The R.S.D. values for intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 19.2% and the mean recovery of each compound was 85.4∼104.7%.

The aerobic photosynthetic bacterium, which produces bacterial carotenoids was isolated and identified from coastal marine environments. This bacterium was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and designated as Erythrobacter longus SY-46. E. longus SY-46 was Gram negative and rod shape, and the optimal culture conditions were 25℃, pH 7.0, and 3.0% NaCl concentration, respectively. The carbon and nitrogen sources required for the optimal growth were lactose and tryptone, respectively. Fatty acid compositions of E. longus SY-46 were C18:1(78.32%), ν-linolenic acid(C18:3n9.12.15c: 3.83%), margaric acid(C17:0: 3.38%), palmitic acid(C16:0: 3.07%), and docosahexaenoic acid(C22:6n3: 2.21%). In addition, E. longus SY-46 showed the characteristic absorption peaks of bacterial carotenoids(in the region of 450 to 480 nm) and bacteriochlorophyll(770 to 772 nm). Major carotenoids of E. longus SY-46 were polyhydroxylated xanthophylls such as fucoxanthin and zeaxanthin.

Carotenoids are the major pigment of pepper (Capsicum annuum) and tomato (Lycopersicon esulentum) which are very important foods in Korea. However the analysis of carotenoids is quite complicated because of their diversity and the presence of cis-trans isomeric forms of these compounds. The objective of this review is to collect the achievements on the field of the chromatographic separation of carotenoids in food and some vegetables, to describe and critically evaluate the techniques, And to compare the benefits and shortcomings of the various chromatographic methods such as adsorption and reversed-phase HPLC and thin-layer chromatography. HPLC equipped with ultra-violet or photodiode array detection is most often employed in routine use for the analysis of carotenoids. Here, the method to analyze carotenoids by HPLC separation after solvent extration and purification from pepper powder samples done in our laboratory is also mentioned.

감 과피로부터 천연식용색소를 개발하고자 7가지 (acetone, ethanol, ether, ethyl acetate, ethylene chloride, hexan, methanol)의 유기용매로 carotenids를 추출하고 추출수율을 비교하였다. 이들 용매중 아세톤의 추출수율이 가장 크게 나타나 아세톤을 이용한 추출조건의 최적화를 위하여 중심합성계획에 의한 반응표면분석을 행하였다. 시료에 대한 추출온도(X), 추출시간(X), 용매비(X)를 요

Rice plants cv. Koshihikari, were subjected to the biologically effective ultraviolet-B (UV-B_BE) radiation {daily dose : 0.0 (control) and 11.5 (enhanced UV-B) kJ m^-2} to investigate the effect of enhanced UV-B radiation on lipid peroxidation and to determine whether carotenoids and polyamines are involved in protection mechanism against enhanced UV-B radiation. Enhanced UV-B radiation significantly depressed plant dry weight. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in rice leaves was increased by about 30% after 6 days of UV-B irradiation. Total carotenoid contents tended to slightly decrease with the UV-B irradiation, even though there was no significance. In rice leaves, 3 major polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine are observed. All of the polyamine contents were increased with UV-B irradiation. The results suggest that enhanced UV-B radiation caused oxidative stress on lipids and that polyamines may serve as a biochemical protectant against increased UV-B radiation in rice plants.