The biological properties of carotenoids

Abstract

The biological properties of carotenoids can be divided into functions, which are essential to the well-being of organisms, and actions or associations, which are either responses to the administration of carotenoids, or are phenomena which still lack evidence of a causal relationship to the presence of carotenoids. Regardless of the strength of the evidence for these various biological properties, there must be either a physical or chemical basis that will serve to explain these phenomena. Many of the reported effects still require further investigations to help us understand the relationship between chemical properties and biological activity. © 1994 IUPAC