Sight and Life Magazine 1/2011

SIGHT AND LIFE | VOL. 25 (1) | 2011PUBLICATIONS99CarotenoidsA Colorful andTimelyResearch FieldBecause carotenoids are widely consumed and their consumptionis a modifiable health behavior (via diets or supplements),health benefits for chronic disease prevention, if real,could be very significant for public health.This book spans the breadth of ongoing work by researchersaround the world, ranging from basic studies to advancedapplied biomedical research. As in many fields of research,new tools and techniques for measuring carotenoids in varioussystems are critical to support research progress. Severalchapters discuss new methodologies to measure carotenoids,carotenoid metabolites/radicals, or carotenoids in vivo incomplex biological systems, especially in the human eye. Otherchapters describe the oxygenase enzymes that are essentialcomponents of carotenoid metabolism to active metabolites.How carotenoids behaveCarotenoids are highly lipophilic: an active area of researchconcerns how carotenoids interact with and affect membranesystems. Also, the lipid solubility of these compounds hasimportant implications for carotenoid intestinal absorption:models such as the Caco-2 cell model are being used to conductdetailed studies of carotenoid absorption / competitionfor absorption. The lipid solubility of these carotenoids alsoleads to the aggregation of carotenoids. Carotenoids aggregateboth in natural and artificial systems, with implications forcarotenoid excited states. This in turn has implications for anew indication for carotenoids, namely, serving as potentialmaterials for harnessing solar energy.In summary, the amazing breadth and depth of researchin carotenoids are reasons why it draws investigators to thisfascinating field of research. The research spans the continuumfrom detailed studies of the roles of photoprotectivecarotenoids in plants to the potential application in the preventionof disease in humans. This is translational researchat its best and I commend the editor, Dr John Landrum, forassembling such an interesting and informative collection ofcurrent research.Reviewed bySusan T Mayne Yale University School of MedicineFor more information, please visithttp://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781420052305/