Biochemistry of Carotenoids
and their Changes
John Rey S. De Los Santos
Reporter
What are carotenoids?
Carotenoids are family of isoprenoid molecules that are widespread
in nature. It is found in chloroplast & chromoplast of Plants &
photosynthetic bacteria (Cyanobacteria).
Carotenoids are the precursor
of Vitamins A a powerful anti-
oxidants that helps in preventing
some forms of cancer and heart
diseases.
Source:https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net
What are carotenoids?
Carotenoids pigments exhibit strong light absorption in the blue portion
of the visible spectrum.
Credits to: HL Option B Human Biochemistry (IB Chemistry)
Carotenoids are responsible for the yellow, orange, and red colours of
many plants.
Chemical Structure of
carotenoids
Chemical Structure of carotenoids.
- Carotenoids are tetraterpenoids. They are produced from 8 isoprene
molecules & contain 40 carbon atoms.
- All Carotenoids demonstrate a basic structure which consist of a
hydrocarbon chain of varying length and varying types of end
groups.
- Carotenoids contains a conjugated
backbone composed of isoprene units.
General Structure of carotenoids
https://images.app.goo.gl/eXrPxmHUX1ZdzQyj9
Credits to: HL Option B Human Biochemistry (IB Chemistry)
Structures of common carotenoids.
Biosynthetic Pathway of
Carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
The carotenoids found in the photosynthetic pigment- protein
complexes of higher plants, algae, and phototropic bacteria
(including cyanobacteria) are lipophilic secondary metabolites.
Like isoprenoids, carotenoids compound originate in the plastid-
localized 2-c – methyl- D- erythritol 4- phosphate (MEP) pathway.
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
The MEP Pathway starts with the
reaction between of pyruvate and
glyceraldehyde- 3- phosphate
(G3P). This first regulatory step in
the MEP pathway is catalysed by
1- deoxy- S- xylulose- 5 phosphate
synthase (DXP synthase/DXS)
enzyeme and produces 1 deoxy-D-
xylulose 5- phosphate (DXP).
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
CRTISO ( a carotenoid isomerase) now converts the cis- lycopene into
an all trans lycopene in the presence reduced FAD.
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Biosynthetic Pathway of carotenoids
Classifications of carotenoids
Whoa!
There were over 1,100 known Carotenoids
which can be further categorized into two
groups: carotenes and xanthophylls.
What is carotenes?
- The term carotene (also carotin, from the Latin carota, "carrot“).
- Carotene is a hydrocarbon with no oxygen atoms in its structure.
General Formula (C40H56).
- - There are three main types of carotenes as β-carotene, α-carotene,
and lycopene
β-carotene
- Most common form
- Precursor of Vitamin A
- β-carotene occurs in cantaloupe, mangoes, papaya, carrots, sweet
potatoes, spinach, kale, and pumpkin
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shankaranarayanan-J/publication/327981139/figure/fig2/
AS:676840188416007@1538382684219/Chemical-structure-of-beta-carotene.png
Lycopene
- Lycopene is the red colored pigment abundantly found in red
colored fruits and vegetables such as tomato, papaya, pink
grapefruit, pink guava and watermelon. This red colored pigment
was first discovered in the tomato by Millardet in 1876.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334448889/figure/fig1/
AS:780373097213952@1563066853617/Molecular-structure-of-lycopene.png
What is Xanthophylls ?
- They are yellow pigments; thus, this accounts for their name,
‘xanthophyll’, which is derived from Greek xanthos– (yellow) and
”phyllon (leaf). Xanthophylls are found in papaya, peaches,
prunes.
- It is molecular structure contains oxygen the General Formula is
(C40H56O2).
- - Examples of xanthophylls are
lutein and zeaxanthin.
Credits to: https://discoveryeye.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/
What is xanthophylls?
- Xanthophyll is the second type of carotenoids found in plants,
giving a yellow color to the plant. However, the structure of
xanthophyll contains a single oxygen atom in contrast to carotene.
However, same as carotene, xanthophyll occurs in leaves of plants
in high quantities.
Oxidation of Carotenoids
Oxidation of carotenoids
- The presence of multiple carbon to carbon double bonds makes
carotenoids susceptible to oxidation in the presence of oxygen
catalysed by light ( photo- oxidation).
- Oxidation results in the loss of colour, loss of vitamin A activity
and off- odors.
- The oxidation of carotenoids can reduced by preventing exposure
to air ( oxygen) and light.
Resources
https://pediaa.com/difference-between-vitamin-a-and-beta-carotene/#B
eta%20Carotene
Kong, Weng, et al. "Revealing the Power of the Natural Red Pigment
Lycopene." Molecules, vol. 15, no. 2, 2010, pp. 959-987,
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15020959. Accessed 5 May 2023.
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1184
https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/xanthophyll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMcVFUXVPhE
https://www.slideshare.net/mahajandhanraj/carotenoids-97452483
Learning biochemistry helps in
biology understanding
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