While carotenoids are essential for visual function, their potential role in diabetic retinopathy is not known. By providing carrot powder, this study examined carotenoid metabolism and visual function in Type 1 diabetes. Wistar rats (n=30) were assigned to diet either with or without carrot enrichment (15%, w/w) for 12 weeks. Type 1 diabetes was induced with streptozotocin at 3 weeks. Retinal function and anatomical integrity were assessed along with retinoid and carotenoid levels in the serum, liver, and retina. Loss of ERG oscillatory potentials, with normal histology indicated early stage retinopathy. Healthy animals fed carrot diet showed highest b-wave amplitudes; reflecting higher phototransduction. Diabetic animals fed carrot diet had the lowest b-wave amplitudes, reduced retinoids liver reserves, and highest α- and β-carotene, suggesting disturbance of conversion during diabetes. Consequently carrot powder at concentrations used by this study cannot be recommended for diabetic retinopathy.

Lobster waste (including the head and hard carapace, viscera, mandibles and gills) contains approximately 98 $ mu$g/g total astaxanthin, 23% protein, 20% chitin, 34% ash, and 2.2% crude fat on dry weight basis. Carotenoprotein, amounting to 16% of the dry matter was effectively recovered from lobster waste by a trypsin aided process. Air-dried carotenoproteins were enriched in protein by about 108-115%, in crude fat by 540-594% and in carotenoid pigment by about 147-329% as compared with the waste material. Furthermore, the ash and chitin levels in the products were considerably lower than those of the raw material. / Drying characteristics of carotenoprotein was evaluated in a modified air-drier using air temperature (45$ sp circ$C, 55$ sp circ$C or 65$ sp circ$C) and relative humidity (5% and 15%) as main factors. The study indicated that higher temperatures achieved faster drying rates of the product but adversely affected its nutritional composition and/or quality. The proximate compositions of carotenoprotein dried at 45$ sp circ$C and relative humidity of 5% or 15% were comparable with that obtained by freeze drying. / Thus, the process achieved a substantial reduction in the levels of anti-nutrients associated with lobster waste (i.e., ash and chitin) while elevating the levels of carotenoid pigments and essential nutrients such as protein and fat in the recovered product. These characteristics of the tray-dried carotenoprotein suggest that it could be used as an inexpensive source of pigment and protein in diets of cultured salmonid species.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1997. / Restricted until November 1998. Bibliography: leaves 94-106.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 162-178).

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abstract: Like most other phototrophic organisms the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 produces carotenoids. These pigments often bind to proteins and assume various functions in light harvesting, protection from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein stabilization. One hypothesis was that carotenoids bind to the surface (S-)layer protein. In this work the Synechocystis S-layer protein was identified as Sll1951 and the effect on the carotenoid composition of this prokaryote by disruption of sll1951 was studied. Loss of the S-layer, which was demonstrated by electron microscopy, did not result in loss of carotenoids or changes in the carotenoid profile of the mutant, which was shown by HPLC and protein analysis. Although Δsll1951 was more susceptible to osmotic stress than the wild type, the general viability of the mutant remained unaffected. In a different study a combination of mutants having single or multiple deletions of putative carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) genes was created. CCDs are presumed to play a role in the breakdown of carotenoids or apo-carotenoids. The carotenoid profiles of the mutants that were grown under conditions of increased reactive oxygen species were analyzed by HPLC. Pigment lifetimes of all strains were estimated by 13C-labeling. Carotenoid composition and metabolism were similar in all strains leading to the conclusion that the deleted CCDs do not affect carotenoid turnover in Synechocystis. The putative CCDs either do not fulfill this function in cyanobacteria or alternative pathways for carotenoid degradation exist. Finally, slr0941, a gene of unknown function but a conserved genome position in many cyanobacteria downstream of the δ-carotene desaturase, was disrupted. Initially, the mutant strain was impaired in growth but displayed a rather normal carotenoid content and composition, but an apparent second-site mutation occurred infrequently that restored growth rates and caused an accumulation of carotenoid isomers not found in the wild type. Based on the obtained data a role of the slr0941 gene in carotenoid binding/positioning for isomerization and further conversion to mature carotenoids is suggested. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Microbiology 2011

abstract: The elaborate signals of animals are often costly to produce and maintain, thus communicating reliable information about the quality of an individual to potential mates or competitors. The properties of the sensory systems that receive signals can drive the evolution of these signals and shape their form and function. However, relatively little is known about the ecological and physiological constraints that may influence the development and maintenance of sensory systems. In the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) and many other bird species, carotenoid pigments are used to create colorful sexually selected displays, and their expression is limited by health and dietary access to carotenoids. Carotenoids also accumulate in the avian retina, protecting it from photodamage and tuning color vision. Analogous to plumage carotenoid accumulation, I hypothesized that avian vision is subject to environmental and physiological constraints imposed by the acquisition and allocation of carotenoids. To test this hypothesis, I carried out a series of field and captive studies of the house finch to assess natural variation in and correlates of retinal carotenoid accumulation and to experimentally investigate the effects of dietary carotenoid availability, immune activation, and light exposure on retinal carotenoid accumulation. Moreover, through dietary manipulations of retinal carotenoid accumulation, I tested the impacts of carotenoid accumulation on visually mediated foraging and mate choice behaviors. My results indicate that avian retinal carotenoid accumulation is variable and significantly influenced by dietary carotenoid availability and immune system activity. Behavioral studies suggest that retinal carotenoid accumulation influences visual foraging performance and mediates a trade-off between color discrimination and photoreceptor sensitivity under dim-light conditions. Retinal accumulation did not influence female choice for male carotenoid-based coloration, indicating that a direct link between retinal accumulation and sexual selection for coloration is unlikely. However, retinal carotenoid accumulation in males was positively correlated with their plumage coloration. Thus, carotenoid-mediated visual health and performance or may be part of the information encoded in sexually selected coloration. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biology 2011

abstract: Natural photosynthesis features a complex biophysical/chemical process that requires sunlight to produce energy rich products. It is one of the most important processes responsible for the appearance and sustainability of life on earth. The first part of the thesis focuses on understanding the mechanisms involved in regulation of light harvesting, which is necessary to balance the absorption and utilization of light energy and in that way reduce the effect caused by photooxidative damage. In photosynthesis, carotenoids are responsible not only for collection of light, but also play a major role in protecting the photosynthetic system. To investigate the role of carotenoids in the quenching of the excited state of cyclic tetrapyrroles, two sets of dyads were studied. Both sets of dyads contain zinc phthalocyanine (Pc) covalently attached to carotenoids of varying conjugation lengths. In the first set of dyads, carotenoids were attached to the phthalocyanine via amide linkage. This set of dyads serves as a good model for understanding the molecular "gear-shift" mechanism, where the addition of one double bond can turn the carotenoid from a nonquencher to a very strong quencher of the excited state of a tetrapyrrole. In the second set of dyads, carotenoids were attached to phthalocyanine via a phenyl amino group. Two independent studies were performed on these dyads: femtosecond transient absorption and steady state fluorescence induced by two-photon excitation. In the transient absorption study it was observed that there is an instantaneous population of the carotenoid S1 state after Pc excitation, while two-photon excitation of the optically forbidden carotenoid S1 state shows 1Pc population. Both observations provide a strong indication of the existence of a shared excitonic state between carotenoid and Pc. Similar results were observed in LHC II complexes in plants, supporting the role of such interactions in photosynthetic down regulation. In the second chapter we describe the synthesis of porphyrin dyes functionalized with carboxylate and phosphonate anchoring groups to be used in the construction of photoelectrochemical cells containing a porphyrin-IrO2·nH2O complex immobilized on a TiO2 electrode. The research presented here is a step in the development of high potential porphyrin-metal oxide complexes to be used in the photooxidation of water. The last chapter focuses on developing synthetic strategies for the construction of an artificial antenna system consisting of porphyrin-silver nanoparticle conjugates, linked by DNA of varied length to study the distance dependence of the interaction between nanoparticles and the porphyrin chromophore. Preliminary studies indicate that at the distance of about 7-10 nm between porphyrin and silver nanoparticle is where the porphyrin absorption leading to fluorescence shows maximum enhancement. These new hybrid constructs will be helpful for designing efficient light harvesting systems. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Chemistry 2011

A abóbora se destaca como uma hortaliça de grande potencial nutritivo e tecnológico. Para que se possa aumentar a variabilidade dos produtos de origem vegetal disponíveis no mercado, a abóbora deve ser submetida a processos térmicos que visam prolongar a sua vida de prateleira, além de realizar as modificações necessárias para a sua comercialização. Neste contexto, o objetivo principal da presente pesquisa foi avaliar a aplicação da tecnologia de aquecimento ôhmico em diferentes etapas a serem realizadas durante o processamento da abóbora híbrida Tetsukabuto. Na primeira etapa do trabalho, objetivou-se investigar os efeitos do branqueamento convencional e ôhmico (realizados a 80 ºC durante 4 minutos e 163 V no aquecimento ôhmico) sobre a inativação da enzima peroxidase e sobre a cor das abóboras. Para o ajuste dos dados relativos à inativação enzimática, diferentes modelos cinéticos foram avaliados, sendo o modelo de distribuição de Weibull o escolhido para descrever a cinética de inativação da peroxidase. Com este estudo, foi possível observar que o branqueamento com campo elétrico afetou significativamente os parâmetros cinéticos de inativação enzimática, tornando esse processo mais rápido. A aplicação de ambas as tecnologias não causou modificações significativas dos parâmetros de cor da abóbora. Na segunda etapa do trabalho, creme de abóbora foi pasteurizado via tratamento térmico convencional e ôhmico realizados a 90 ºC por 2 horas e 47 V no aquecimento ôhmico. O objetivo dessa etapa foi avaliar os efeitos de ambas as tecnologias sobre a variação de cor, degradação de carotenoides totais e mudanças nos parâmetros reológicos do creme. Foi possível observar que a cor do creme foi levemente afetada durante a aplicação dos processos, tornando-se ligeiramente mais escura e perdendo o tom amarelado. Além disso, foi verificada perda no teor de carotenoides totais presentes no creme. Ainda, não foi observado um efeito não-térmico adicional do campo elétrico sobre a cor e os carotenoides presentes no produto. O creme de abóbora apresentou comportamento pseudoplástico e que se ajustou satisfatoriamente ao Modelo da Lei da Potência. Com a aplicação dos tratamentos, foi observado um aumento significativo no índice de consistência do creme, sendo que ambas as tecnologias não apresentaram diferenças representativas entre si. O conjunto de resultados obtidos pelo presente trabalho sugere que o aquecimento ôhmico é uma tecnologia promissora a ser aplicada em diferentes operações envolvidas durante o processamento de alimentos. / Pumpkins stand out as vegetable of great nutritional and technological potential. In order to increase the variability of vegetal products available on the market, pumpkins must be subjected to thermal process which can prolong its shelf life, and imposing also the necessary modifications for its commercialization. In this context, the main objective of the present research was to evaluate the application of ohmic heating technology in different stages carried out during the processing of the hybrid pumpkin Tetsukabuto. In the first part of the work, the objective was to investigate the effects of conventional and ohmic blanching (performed at 80 ºC during 4 minutes and 163 V in the ohmic heating) on the inactivation of peroxidase enzyme and on the color of the pumpkins. In order to adjust the data related to enzyme inactivation, different kinetic models were evaluated, being the Weibull distribution model chosen to describe the inactivation kinetics of peroxidase. With this study, it was possible to observe that the electric field blanching significantly affected the kinetic parameters of enzymatic inactivation, turning this process faster. The application of both technologies did not cause significant modifications of pumpkins color parameters. In the second part of the work, pumpkin cream was pasteurized via conventional and ohmic thermal treatment carried out at 90 ºC for 2 hours and 47 V in the ohmic heating. The objective of this stage was to evaluate the effects of both technologies on the color variation, the degradation of total carotenoids and the changes in rheological parameters of the cream. It was possible to observe that the color of the cream was slightly affected during the application of the processes, becoming slightly darker and losing its yellowish tone. In addition, it was verified loss of total carotenoid content in the cream. Furthermore, no additional non-thermal effect of the electric field on the color and on carotenoids present in the product was observed. The pumpkin cream presented a shear thinning behavior and was satisfactorily adjusted to the Power Law Model. It was observed a significant increase in the consistency index of the cream after the application of both treatments, and both technologies did not present significative differences between them. The overall results obtained in the present work suggests that ohmic heating is a promising technology to be applied in different operations involved during food processing.

A abóbora se destaca como uma hortaliça de grande potencial nutritivo e tecnológico. Para que se possa aumentar a variabilidade dos produtos de origem vegetal disponíveis no mercado, a abóbora deve ser submetida a processos térmicos que visam prolongar a sua vida de prateleira, além de realizar as modificações necessárias para a sua comercialização. Neste contexto, o objetivo principal da presente pesquisa foi avaliar a aplicação da tecnologia de aquecimento ôhmico em diferentes etapas a serem realizadas durante o processamento da abóbora híbrida Tetsukabuto. Na primeira etapa do trabalho, objetivou-se investigar os efeitos do branqueamento convencional e ôhmico (realizados a 80 ºC durante 4 minutos e 163 V no aquecimento ôhmico) sobre a inativação da enzima peroxidase e sobre a cor das abóboras. Para o ajuste dos dados relativos à inativação enzimática, diferentes modelos cinéticos foram avaliados, sendo o modelo de distribuição de Weibull o escolhido para descrever a cinética de inativação da peroxidase. Com este estudo, foi possível observar que o branqueamento com campo elétrico afetou significativamente os parâmetros cinéticos de inativação enzimática, tornando esse processo mais rápido. A aplicação de ambas as tecnologias não causou modificações significativas dos parâmetros de cor da abóbora. Na segunda etapa do trabalho, creme de abóbora foi pasteurizado via tratamento térmico convencional e ôhmico realizados a 90 ºC por 2 horas e 47 V no aquecimento ôhmico. O objetivo dessa etapa foi avaliar os efeitos de ambas as tecnologias sobre a variação de cor, degradação de carotenoides totais e mudanças nos parâmetros reológicos do creme. Foi possível observar que a cor do creme foi levemente afetada durante a aplicação dos processos, tornando-se ligeiramente mais escura e perdendo o tom amarelado. Além disso, foi verificada perda no teor de carotenoides totais presentes no creme. Ainda, não foi observado um efeito não-térmico adicional do campo elétrico sobre a cor e os carotenoides presentes no produto. O creme de abóbora apresentou comportamento pseudoplástico e que se ajustou satisfatoriamente ao Modelo da Lei da Potência. Com a aplicação dos tratamentos, foi observado um aumento significativo no índice de consistência do creme, sendo que ambas as tecnologias não apresentaram diferenças representativas entre si. O conjunto de resultados obtidos pelo presente trabalho sugere que o aquecimento ôhmico é uma tecnologia promissora a ser aplicada em diferentes operações envolvidas durante o processamento de alimentos. / Pumpkins stand out as vegetable of great nutritional and technological potential. In order to increase the variability of vegetal products available on the market, pumpkins must be subjected to thermal process which can prolong its shelf life, and imposing also the necessary modifications for its commercialization. In this context, the main objective of the present research was to evaluate the application of ohmic heating technology in different stages carried out during the processing of the hybrid pumpkin Tetsukabuto. In the first part of the work, the objective was to investigate the effects of conventional and ohmic blanching (performed at 80 ºC during 4 minutes and 163 V in the ohmic heating) on the inactivation of peroxidase enzyme and on the color of the pumpkins. In order to adjust the data related to enzyme inactivation, different kinetic models were evaluated, being the Weibull distribution model chosen to describe the inactivation kinetics of peroxidase. With this study, it was possible to observe that the electric field blanching significantly affected the kinetic parameters of enzymatic inactivation, turning this process faster. The application of both technologies did not cause significant modifications of pumpkins color parameters. In the second part of the work, pumpkin cream was pasteurized via conventional and ohmic thermal treatment carried out at 90 ºC for 2 hours and 47 V in the ohmic heating. The objective of this stage was to evaluate the effects of both technologies on the color variation, the degradation of total carotenoids and the changes in rheological parameters of the cream. It was possible to observe that the color of the cream was slightly affected during the application of the processes, becoming slightly darker and losing its yellowish tone. In addition, it was verified loss of total carotenoid content in the cream. Furthermore, no additional non-thermal effect of the electric field on the color and on carotenoids present in the product was observed. The pumpkin cream presented a shear thinning behavior and was satisfactorily adjusted to the Power Law Model. It was observed a significant increase in the consistency index of the cream after the application of both treatments, and both technologies did not present significative differences between them. The overall results obtained in the present work suggests that ohmic heating is a promising technology to be applied in different operations involved during food processing.