Carotenoids

In the mid-1960's, scientists working on carotenoids throughout the World agreed to have periodic meetings for the purpose of discussing and disseminating scientific research results concerning all aspects of carotenoids. The meetings were also organized to act as teaching forums for students, and the major scientific results from each meeting were to result in a publication. Each meeting was planned to be International in scope, being held in different locations in the World, and organized by local, recognized carotenoid scientists. The first of the Carotenoid meetings was held in Trondheim, Norway in 1966. Meetings then followed in Las Cuces, New Mexico (1969); Cluj, Roumania (1972); Berne, Switzerland (1975); Madison, Wisconsin (1978); Liverpool; England (1981); and Munich, Federal Republic of Germany (1984). In all of these meetings, the original purposes which stimulated the first meeting were accomplished: scientific discussion, student education and resulting scientific publication.The meetings and the i~formation resulting from them have led to significant advances in carotenoid biochemistry, biology, and chemisty. This publication represents the contributions from a distinguished list of participants. We look forward to the future meetings in this series.

Inhalt
Recent Progress in Carotenoid Structures.- Carotenoid Structures and Lower Plant Phylogeny.- Plant Carotenoids.- Animal Carotenoids.- Carotenoproteins.- Advances in HPLC and HPLC-MS of Carotenoids and Retinoids.- Advances in the Synthesis of Optically Active Carotenoids.- Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Retinoids and Visual Pigment Analogs Studies.- Artifacts of Natural Carotenoids - Unintended Carotenoid Synthesis.- Carotenoid Biosynthesis - An Overview.- The Use of Cell-Free Systems in Studies of Carotenoid Biosynthesis.- On the Desaturation and Cyclization of Carotenes in Chromoplast Membranes.- Natural Selection of Carotenoid Configurations by the Reaction Center and the Light-Harvesting Complex of Photosynthetic Bacteria.- The Function of Carotenoid Pigments in Photosynthesis and Their Possible Involvement in the Evolution of Higher Plants.- Photoprotective Functions of Carotenoids.- Bacterial Carotenoids as Membrane Reinforcers. A General Role for Polyterpenoids: Membrane Stabilization.- New Aspects of Carotenoid Metabolism in Animals.- Bioavailability of Carotenoids.- Carotenoids in Medicine.- ß-Carotene Prevention of 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthraceneinduced Transformation of Mouse Mammary Cells in vitro.- ß-Carotene Protection Against Phototoxicity in vivo.- Pilot Intervention Studies with Carotenoids.- Carotenoids and the Immune System.- Synthetic Astaxanthin. The Route of a Carotenoid from Research to Commercialization.- Industrial Biosynthesis of Carotenoids.