Carotenoids are a family of yellow to orange-red terpenoid pigments synthesized by photosynthetic organisms and many bacteria and fungi. They have beneficial health effects protecting against oxidative damage, and may be responsible for the colours associated with plants and animals. In Microbial Carotenoids From Fungi: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the most up-to-date methods which are now commonly used to study carotenoids. These include methods for the manipulation and metabolic engineering of the Beta-carotene producing fungi Blakeslea trispora and Mucor circinelloides, lycopene production with the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, peroxisome targeting of lycopene pathway enzymes in Pichia pastoris, and the manipulation of the heterobasidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, which produces astaxanthin, a red xanthophyll with large importance in the aquaculture, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Additionally, the book includes a DNA assembler method for construction of zeaxanthin-producing strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, production of neurosporaxanthin by Neurospora and Fusarium, and production of torularhodin, torulene and b-carotene by Rhodotorula yeasts. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Microbial Carotenoids From Fungi: Methods and Protocols, provides practical experimental laboratory procedures for a wide range of carotenoids producing microorganisms.

In this volume, expert researchers in the field detail the most up-to-date methods commonly used to study and produce carotenoids. These include methods on the manipulation and metabolic engineering of carotenoid producing microalgae and bacteria, including Corynebacterium glutamicum, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and radio-tolerant bacteria; in addition to fungi, as the beta-carotene producing Blakeslea trispora and Mucor circinelloides or the lycopene producing Blakeslea trispora; and the heterobasidiomycetous yeast producing xanthophylls Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma) and the engineered yeast Pichia pastoris. Additionally, three overview chapters on the advancement of Biotechnology and carotenoid production are included. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Microbial Carotenoids: Methods and Protocols provides practical experimental laboratory procedures for a wide range of carotenoids producing microorganisms, aiming to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

Carotenoids are an essential component of the human diet. Bioactive by nature, they are rich in antioxidants, promote vitamin A activity and lower the development of chronic illnesses. As such they are an area of growing interest to researchers and scientists who are working to design, develop and launch new functional food products, dietary supplements and other nutritional solutions. Carotenoids: Nutrition, Analysis and Technology is an up-to-date overview of the key areas of carotenoids in nutrition, therapy and technology. In the first section, the authors present a functional food perspective, outlining the therapeutic applications of the bioactive pigments. The second part is dedicated to the spectroscopic analysis of carotenoids, providing in-depth scientific methods and real research findings. In the final section, various technological applications of carotenoids are considered, including biotechnology and future prospects. Written by international experts in the field, this comprehensive book will be of interest to food scientists and researchers, nutritionists and health food companies. It will be of particular use to anyone involved in the spectroscopic analysis of carotenoids and other related bioactives.

This volume is the newest release in the authoritative series of quantitative estimates of nutrient intakes to be used for planning and assessing diets for healthy people. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) is the newest framework for an expanded approach developed by U.S. and Canadian scientists. This book discusses in detail the role of vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and the carotenoids in human physiology and health. For each nutrient the committee presents what is known about how it functions in the human body, which factors may affect how it works, and how the nutrient may be related to chronic disease. Dietary Reference Intakes provides reference intakes, such as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), for use in planning nutritionally adequate diets for different groups based on age and gender, along with a new reference intake, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), designed to assist an individual in knowing how much is "too much" of a nutrient.

This volume in Springer s Methods and Protocols series has expert researchers detailing many of the latest methods for studying canthaxanthin production, directed evolution of carotenoid synthases, and a host of other techniques, all with stepwise directions."

In recent years, there has been a global surge in the production and application of vitamins and pigments in food and pharmaceuticals industries, leading to draw the attention of scientific communities to develop novel strategies to cope with world demand. Microbial vitamins and carotenoids in food biotechnology: Novel source and potential applications allow the audience to understand the current status of the biotechnological approaches used for the production of vitamins and carotenoids from microorganisms. The title provides important insights to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in microbial biosynthesis of vitamins and carotenoids. The chapters, all written by leading researchers from academia, help to put forward all the latest advancement concerning the production and applications of microbial vitamins and carotenoids. The book also provides the sustainable alternative to chemically synthesized compound and presents the wide coverage for the most promising sources of vitamins and carotenoids in food and pharmaceutical industries. This is a complete and unique resource beneficial for the scientific communities as well as food science and nutrition research students. - Thoroughly explores biotechnological approaches surrounding the production and application of microbial vitamins and carotenoids in food processing and manufacturing industries - Covers the major portion of novel source and various biotechnological approaches used for the production of various types of vitamins and carotenoids from microorganisms and their applications in food industry - Contains up-to-date information required for the formulations of new products or protocols for enhancing production of specific compounds

The book "Progress in Carotenoid Research" presents an authoritative and comprehensive overview of the biology, biochemistry, and chemistry of carotenoids. Divided into 14 discrete parts, this book covers topics on basic science and applied technology of carotenoid molecules. This book provides an insight into future developments in each field and has an extensive bibliography. It will be an essential resource for researchers and academic and industry professionals in the natural pigment field.

Recent technological advances have provided unique opportunities for the exploration of alternatives to the industrial use of chemically produced synthetic colors. The most promising developments in this area have been in bio-pigmentation derived from microorganisms. This groundbreaking book reviews the current state of the science of bio-pigmentation, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbial biosynthesis of industrial pigments. Featuring contributions by leading researchers from both industry and academe, it explores the latest advances in the use of bio-pigments as safe, sustainable alternatives to chemically synthesized pigments, and provides extensive coverage the most promising sources of bio-pigments within the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. • Proposes microbial uniqueness of coloration in variety of food, feed and pharmaceuticals • Covers the basic science behind bio-pigmentation as well as the latest advances in the field • Describes detection strategies for screening and identifying color producing microorganisms under varying environmental conditions • Provides an exhaustive review of the literature on color producing extremophiles and offers fascinating insights into color production as a stress response in extremophiles • Explores microbial molecular mechanisms of color production, with special coverage of color production as secondary metabolites under environmental stress Bio-pigmentation and Biotechnological Implementations is required reading for professionals and post-doctoral students of microbiology, applied microbiology, food microbiology, food science, and food biochemistry. It is a valuable working resource for scientists working in color-dependent food, feed, and pharmaceuticals.

Bacteria, yeast, fungi and microalgae can act as producers (or catalysts for the production) of food ingredients, enzymes and nutraceuticals. With the current trend towards the use of natural ingredients in foods, there is renewed interest in microbial flavours and colours, food bioprocessing using enzymes and food biopreservation using bacteriocins. Microbial production of substances such as organic acids and hydrocolloids also remains an important and fast-changing area of research. Microbial production of food ingredients, enzymes and nutraceuticals provides a comprehensive overview of microbial production of food ingredients, enzymes and nutraceuticals.Part one reviews developments in the metabolic engineering of industrial microorganisms and advances in fermentation technology in the production of fungi, yeasts, enzymes and nutraceuticals. Part two discusses the production and application in food processing of substances such as carotenoids, flavonoids and terponoids, enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics, bacteriocins, microbial polysaccharides, polyols and polyunsaturated fatty acids.Microbial production of food ingredients, enzymes and nutraceuticals is an invaluable guide for professionals in the fermentation industry as well as researchers and practitioners in the areas of biotechnology, microbiology, chemical engineering and food processing. - Provides a comprehensive overview of microbial flavours and colours, food bioprocessing using enzymes and food biopreservation using bacteriocins - Begins with a review of key areas of systems biology and metabolic engineering, including methods and developments for filamentous fungi - Analyses the use of microorganisms for the production of natural molecules for use in foods, including microbial production of food flavours and carotenoids

Nutraceutical and Functional Food Components: Effects of Innovative Processing Techniques, Second Edition highlights the impact of recent food industry advances on the nutritional value, functional properties, applications, bioavailability, and bioaccessibility of food components. This second edition also assesses shelf-life, sensory characteristics, and the profile of food products. Covering the most important groups of food components, including lipids, proteins, peptides and amino acids, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, aromatic compounds, minerals, glucosinolates, enzymes, this book addresses processing methods for each. Food scientists, technologists, researchers, nutritionists, engineers and chemists, agricultural scientists, other professionals working in the food industry, as well as students studying related fields, will benefit from this updated reference. - Focuses on nutritional value, functional properties, applications, bioavailability and bioaccessibility of food components - Covers food components by describing the effects of thermal and non-thermal technologies - Addresses shelf-life, sensory characteristics and health claims