**Preface XI**


Antonio Pérez-Gálvez and María Roca


Preface

Currently, there is information on 1182 natural carotenoids scattered with 697 bioresources. The original chemical fingerprints are currently investigated, making it easy to classify chem‐ ical modification patterns in carotenoid structures, to search for similarities, and to predict some of the biological functions of carotenoids such as photosynthetic pigment, photoprotec‐ tive activity, provitamin A, antioxidant, spectral filter of the eye retina, anti-photosensitizing agent, membrane stabilizer, anticarcinogenic activity, induce cell differentiation, antimicrobi‐ al activity, anti-diabetes activity, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, immune response enhance‐ ment, feeding deterrent activity, allelochemicals, retinoic acid receptors, and transcription activation besides sensory functions related to odor, taste, and color. Our goal in this book is to amplify the understanding of how organisms are related to carotenoids either through

**Leila Queiroz Zepka**

Santa Maria, Brazil

Santos, Brazil

**Veridiana Vera de Rosso** Federal University of São Paulo

**Eduardo Jacob-Lopes**

Santa Maria, Brazil

Federal University of Santa Maria

Federal University of Santa Maria

aspects related to basic science or applied technology to this research field.

