Carotenoid biotechnology

Botella-Pavia, P. and Rodriguez-Concepcion, M., Carotenoid biotechnology in plants for nutritionally improved foods. Physiol. Plantarum 126, 369, 2006. 

BIRD C R, RAY J A, FLETCHER J D, BONIWELL J M, BIRD A S, TEULIERES C, BLAIN I, BRAMLEY P M and SCHUCH w (1991) Using antisense RNA to study gene function inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis in transgenic tomatoes , BioTechnology, 9, 635-9. 

Carotenoid Biosynthesis Examples of Biotechnology FOR Food Coeorants... 

We have chosen carotenoid biosynthesis as the example system for demonstrating the prospects of biotechnology of food colorants for several reasons. Carotenoid biosynthesis is the second most understood system. Multiple examples of valuable food colorant engineering in fungi, bacteria, and plants have been reported. Finally, carotenogenesis in cereal crops such as maize and rice is the primary focus of our research efforts. Hopefully, we provide the food technologist with a template with which to examine other industrially important pigment systems. 

Natural pigment production for food coloration includes the entire spectrum of biotechnologies. For example, biological production of carotenoid pigments has medical implications because carotenoids are nutritive (pro-vitamin A), antioxidant, and photoprotective. Carotenoids are produced alternately in agricultural systems (plants), industrial bioreactors (bacterial and fungi), and marine systems (cyanobacteria and algae). 

Genomic and molecular tools have made great impacts on plant biotechnology and offer potential for manipulation of carotenoids as natural colorants and also for applications in human and animal health. While microbial and other non-plant systems have been successfully used, plant modification eliminates need for expensive bioreactors and offers economically feasible opportunities for less developed nations for production of nutraceuticals and other chemical products. 

Lee, P. and Schmidt-Dannert, C., Metabolic engineering towards biotechnological production of carotenoids in microorganisms, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. V60, 1, 2002. 

Sandmann, G., Carotenoid biosynthesis and biotechnological application, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 385, 4, 2001. 

Yokyoyama A and Shizusato Y. 1997. Carotenoid sulfate and its production, Kaiyo Biotechnology, Kenkyusho, Japan. JP 9084591. 

Winterhalter, P. 1996. Carotenoid-derived aroma compounds Biogenetic and biotechnological aspects. In Biotechnology for improvedfoods and flavors, ed. G. R. Takeoka, R. Teranishi, P. J. Williams, and A. Kobayashi, 295-308. ACS Symposium Series 637. Washington, DC American Chemical Society. 

Carotenoid-Derived Aroma Compounds Biogenetic and Biotechnological Aspects... 

Co-oxidatioii of carotenoids. A different enzymatic approach for the biotechnological production of Cj 3-compounds uses the carotenoid fraction of plants as aroma precursors. In this case, the cleavage of the carotenoid chain is carried out by "co-oxidation" reactions using lipoxygenase or other oxidase systems. 

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