ESI-MS and EPR spin trapping study of xanthophylls: structural and environmental impacts on reactivity

Carotenoids are lipophilic pigments that provide many of the colors found in nature, including the colors found in plants, flowers, and animals. The main interest in carotenoids concerns their participation in light harvesting in biological systems and prevention of light-induced oxidative damage. Another reason for the interest in the redox properties of carotenoids is related to their use as antioxidants in medicinal formulations as a result of radical-mediated processes that occur frequently in living systems. A specific group of carotenoids, known as xanthophylls, are active in photoprotection and radical scavenging. What makes xanthophylls differ from other carotenoids is that they contain oxygen. This dissertation focuses on the interaction of three xanthophylls, Zeaxanthin, Lutein, and Astaxanthin, with damaging energetic species. Chapter 3 is focused on the deprotonation of naturally-occurring zeaxanthin (Zea) radical cations (Zea·+ ) to form neutral radicals (...