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Carotenoids are important industrial pigments present practically in all living organisms. The aim of presented work is the study of regulation of carotenoid production in yeasts of the genus Cystofilobasidium in presence of exogenous stress factors. Growth curve of C. capitatum exhibited typical two-stage course with prolonged stationary phase similar to other carotenogenic yeasts. Maximal production of biomass and beta-carotene occurred in 103rd hour. Applied stress factors (2-5% NACl, 2-5 mM H2O2, 0,01-1 mM Se(IV), 0,1-5 mM Cr(III)) exhibited no significant influence on biomass production, which reached on average 8-9 g/l. Positive effect was observed in presence of 5mM Cr where 10 g/L of biomass was produced. Beta-carotene formation was positively influenced by many applied stress factors, the highest yield (695 g/g) was reached in presence of 0,1 mM Se(IV). No simultaneous regulation of ergosterol and carotenes was observed in Cystofilobasidium cells. Production properties of yeast strain C. capitatum CCY 10-1-1 wee compared with those of other carotenogenic yeasts of the genes Rhodotorula and Sporobolomyces. C. capitatum produced similar biomass yield as Rhodotorula sp. in presence of salt. Production of beta-carotene by C. capitatum was slightly higher than in Rhodotorula glutinis, but lower than in Sporobolomyces strains which exhibited substantially lower biomass production. Karyotype of C. capitatum is relatively different when compared with karyotype of other carotenogenic yeasts. Based on summary of our results in seems that yeasts C. capitatum exhibit similar physiological as well as production properties as some Rhodotorula strains. Thus, yeasts of the genus Cystofilobasidium could be potentially used to industrial production of carotenoid pigments as well as yeast biomass rich in carotenoids and some biogenic elements.

This Ph.D. thesis is devoted to the study of the photophysical properties of photosynthetic pigments. The brief introduction to the field is given in Chapter 1. In studies presented in the thesis, femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy was used to determine the relation between the molecular structure of carotenoids and its spectroscopic properties. The experimental and data analysis methods are described in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 addresses the investigation of the effect of isomerization on excited-state dynamics of the carbonyl carotenoid fucoxanthin. In Chapter 4, the different response of carbonyl carotenoids to solvent proticity is used to estimate the structure of an unknown carotenoid from Chromera velia. In Chapter 5, spectroscopic properties of the S1 state of three linear carotenoids were studied after excess energy excitation in the S2 state. Chapter 6 presents a femtosecond spectroscopic comparison study of Orange and Red Carotenoid Proteins binding different carotenoids.

The work deals with the description of carotenoid aggregation in water solutions. The main interactions which are involved in aggregation were analyzed and an efficient way of description of carotenoid aggregation, which leads to a speed up the computation, has been introduced. In addition, two different methods for calculation probability distribution of catotenoids configurations in solutions with variable water concentration were elaborated, and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Absorption spectra were calculated from these distributions, and they were compared with the experimental results. The influence of water on formation of different types of aggregates, and its impact on the shape of absorption spectra was also discussed. Results of this study will be used as a base of other, more accurate, description of carotenoids aggregation, which will include other weaker interactions between carotenoids.

Carotenoids are an extensive group of natural pigments employed by a majority of organisms on earth. They are present in most organisms, including humans, but can be synthesized only by plants and microorganisms. They perform two major roles in photosynthesis, often in partnership with the more prevalent chlorophylls (Chls) / bacteriochlorophylls (BChls): light-harvesting and photoprotection. Carotenoids absorb radiation in a spectral region inaccessible to Chls and BChls and transfer the absorbed energy to (B)Chls which, in turn, funnel it into the photosynthetic reaction center (RC). It is determined that the structures and dynamics of excited states of carotenoids found in photosynthetic proteins provide an explanation of their roles as light-harvesting and photoprotective agents. The conjugation length and the type of carotenoids play a big part in understanding the energy transfer from carotenoids to Chls and BChls, because excited-state properties of carotenoids are affected by number of conjugated C=C bonds and their structures. An accurate description of these states is, therefore, the crucial first step in explaining carotenoid photochemistry and understanding the interactions between carotenoids and other molecules in photobiological processes. The research in this thesis, femtosecond ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy was used to study the light-harvesting function of carotenoids both in solvent and protein environment. The findings were supported with computational methods. Based on spectroscopic indications, the light-harvesting function of carotenoids has a bearing on their structures, and specific light-harvesting strategies are explicitly dependent with the structure of the light-harvesting complexes.

The presented diploma thesis deals with the analysis and production of selected microbial metabolites of the yeast Rhodotorula kratochvilovae in comparison to various species of microalgae. The theoretical part summarizes the knowledge about the conditions for optimal growth and production of secondary metabolites. Analytical methods, by which metabolites were quantified and evaluated, were also described. In the experimental part of this thesis, the amount of accumulated biomass, exoglycolipids, intracellular lipids, phycobiliproteins and carotenoids according to various nutrient sources in the culture medium was studied. Specifically, the yields of these metabolites were investigated in the utilization of various sources of nitrogen (yeast extract, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and potassium nitrate), carbon (glucose, mannose, xylose, glycerol and lactose) and at variable C / N ratios (20; 40; 70; 100 and 120: 1) ideally selected sources of observed nutrients in partial experiments. The last part of the experiment was focused on comparison of the analysis of metabolites of autotrophic algae (chlorophylls, phycobiliproteins and lipids).

Presented diploma thesis is focused on the optimisation of Haematococcus pluvialis cultivations in different photobioreactors and on biotechnological production of astaxanthin. Theoretical part summarized the knowledge about optimal growth and production conditions of secondary metabolites. Followed research was focused on actual cultivation systems and on the possibilities of metabolite and nutrient monitoring. In experimental part the growth characteristic of the strain from Březova nad Svitavou (HMP-CCALA 375) was analyzed under optimal cultivation conditions on white and red light. During culture growth the profile and the concentration of carotenoid pigments were determined. The best yield of biomass was achieved in the cultivation on white light (0,939 g/l),carotenoids lutein and -carotene were observed as dominant pigments. In the next experiments optimal growth medium, temperature and light intensity were determined for cultivations of four chosen HMP strains from Germany, America, Africa and Switzerland. The most suitable cultivation medium was found BBM, oppositely the worst results were obtained with BG11. In previous experiments cultivation temperature 22 °C was determined as optimal value for comparative strain HMP – CCALA 375. Selected four strains were cultivated at 22 °C, as well as at 25 °C. Higher temperature was more optimal mainly for Switzerland, German and Africa strains. By analyzing of light intensity influence, it was found that the best increase of biomass was induced by the adaptation of culture on lower illumination (50 µmol photones•m^-2•s^-1) followed by higher light intensity (100 - 150 µmol photones•m^-2•s^-1). HMP from Switzerland showed the best growth results during all cultivation experiments, so this strain could be perhaps useful for industrial production of astaxanthin. In the last part of work, the influence of stress conditions on astaxanthin production by strain from Březova nad Svitavou (HMP – CCALA 375) was studied. Followed stress factors were used: high intensity of light (1 000 µmol photones•m^-2•s^-1), low nitrogen concentration (32,96 mg/l), addition of sodium chloride (0,5%), influence of sodium acetate (2,2 mM) and combination of sodium chloride and sodium acetate (0,5% NaCl, 2mM NaAc). Due to strong illumination (1 000 µmol photones•m^-2•s^-1) the best yield of astaxanthin was obtained (more than 20 mg/g). According to literature [103, 105] significant amount was also observed by addition of sodium acetate (9,2 mg/g). Oppositely minimal astaxanthin production was showed in presence of salt stress (3,8 mg/g). In followed experiments should be studied the influence of stress combinations on HMP – CCALA 375 strain as well as on other suitable strains of H. pluvialis with the aim to achieve the maximal yield of astaxanthin significant for large scale cultivation.

In the literary part this work focuses on the history, botanical classification and description of plants. The method of cultivation and harvesting is summarized. Described are varieties that can be use the practical part. It is the use of seabuckthorn and its contents. The experimental parts summarize and evaluate the possibilities of growing seabuckthorn on the experimental plot in Žabčice. Here were observed female varieties ´Aromat´, ´Augustinka´, ´Buchlovický 1´, ´Habeg´, ´Hergo´, ´Krasavice´, ´Leicora´, ´Perčik´, ´Sibirskij rumjaněc´, ´Sluníčko´, ´Trofimofský´ and ´Vitamínová´, male varieties ´Buchlovický 2´, ´Gnom´ and ´Polmix´. Habitat conditions of varieties and phenological phase were observed. The color, shape, weight and size of the fruit were assessed. Furthermore, yield and cubature shrubs. Vitamin C, dry matter and refractometric dry matter values were determined. Sensory properties of products were assessed.

The effect of feeding wheat with various flavonoids and carotenoids was studied on rat blood parameters. The wheat RU 687-12 with purple pericarp, EF02-54/9 with blue aleuron and citrus wheat with yellow endosperm were used i the experiment. The wheat Novosibirskaya 67 was used as a control. Weight gains and feed consumption were monitored on 40 laboratory rats of the WISTAR strain. At the end of the experiment the rat blood was collected and biochemical parameters were determined in blood plasma. The rats fed with wheat from the Citrus group achieved significantly (P<0.05) highest increments whereas the lowest increments were achieved for rats fed with blue wheat mixture EF02-54/9. The biochemical parameters have shown significant differences between the groups (P <0.05). Significantly higher (P <0.05) values of AST, ALT, LD versus control were at the Citrus group and these values were in the range of the physiological limit. Rats from the Citrus and EF02-54/9 group had significantly lower (P <0.05) total protein values and higher albumin than the control group and the EF02-54/9 group. The Citrus and RU 687-12 rats groups showed a low content of the globulin fraction indicating a possible negative impact to the organism. The EF02-54/9 wheat-fed group had statistically lower (P <0.05) cholesterol content compared with the control group. In addition the blood parameters of rats did not show any potential negative effects to the liver.

This work deals with the possibility of Raman spectroscopical identification of selected biomarkers of extremophile species. It focuses mainly on selected cyanobacteria, algae and lichens with an emphasis on the ability to detect carotenoids. These pigments exhibit three characteristic bands of Raman spectra which represent stretching vibrations C=C; C-C and bending vibration C-CH3 in molecules of carotenoids. Raman spectra were measured not only by laboratory microspectrometers (λ - 514 nm and 532 nm), but also by portable and handheld spectrometers (λ - 532 nm, 785 nm and 700 - 1100 nm). In the case of cyanobacteria, the spectroscopical analysis was performed also on the fractions obtained by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This work critically evaluates the possibilities of Raman spectroscopy to identify the carotenoids of cyanobacteria, algae and lichens. Besides the signal of carotenoids, interpretation of other bands in the Raman spectra corresponding to the presence of other biomarkers is given here for selected samples. The obtained Raman spectra of carotenoids should be interpreted with great caution, because of the ifluence of several factors, which potentially cause unsystematic shifts in the positions of Raman bands (carotenoids bond in biological tissue, interactions with...