What are the medicinal importance of the xanthophylls in carotenoids and wt are the different xanthophylls.?

Question

What are the medicinal importance of the xanthophylls in carotenoids and wt are the different xanthophylls.?

Answer 1

Some different xanthophylls are:

Lutein,

use see chapter "Role in human eyes"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutein

Zeaxanthin:

similar to lutein: "The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin were the most strongly associated with reduced risk of MD"

http://www.mdsupport.org/library/lutzean...

Neoxanthin:

antioxidant

Astaxanthin exhibits strong free radical scavenging activity and protects against lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage of LDL-cholesterol, cell membranes, cells, and tissues.

http://www.chem-online.org/food-ingredie...

violaxanthin,

α- and β-cryptoxanthin:

antioxidant.

Some more xanthophylls see figure 3 VII-XII:

http://dcb-carot.unibe.ch/nomen.htm

Xanthophylls (oxygenated carotenoids) are essential components of the plant photosynthetic apparatus, where they act in photosystem assembly, light harvesting, and photoprotection.

http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/abstract/...