Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Measurement of Carotenoids in Perifovea using the Macular Pigment Reflectometer
Published on: January 29, 2020
Differential effects of carotenoids on lipid peroxidation due to membrane interactions: X-ray diffraction analysis
Hyesun P McNulty1, Jungsoo Byun, Samuel F Lockwood
1Elucida Research, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 135L, P.O. Box 7100, Beverly, MA 01915-0091, USA. hmcnulty@elucidaresearch.com
Abstract:
The biological benefits of certain carotenoids may be due to their potent antioxidant properties attributed to specific physico-chemical interactions with membranes. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effects of various carotenoids on rates of lipid peroxidation and correlated these findings with their membrane interactions, as determined by small angle X-ray diffraction approaches. The effects of the homochiral carotenoids (astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene) on lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) generation were evaluated in membranes enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids. Apolar carotenoids, such as lycopene and beta-carotene, disordered the membrane bilayer and showed a potent pro-oxidant effect (>85% increase in LOOH levels) while astaxanthin preserved membrane structure and exhibited significant antioxidant activity (40% decrease in LOOH levels). These findings indicate distinct effects of carotenoids on lipid peroxidation due to membrane structure changes. These contrasting effects of carotenoids on lipid peroxidation may explain differences in their biological activity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Radical Autoxidation
Peroxisomes
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...

