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Carotenoids are, along with chlorophylls, the most abundant pigments found in nature. They are present in most organisms including humans but can be synthesized only by plants and microorganisms. While they are perhaps best known for their bright colors, they have well-documented multiple functions in nature: they serve as light-harvesting pigments in almost all photosynthetic organisms covering a region of the visible spectrum not accessible by (bacterio) chlorophylls ((B) Chl) and they protect against excessive light by quenching both singlet and triplet states of (B) Chls. 1-5 Outside photosynthesis, they are known as efficient quenchers of dangerous singlet oxygen and various reactive radicals by intercepting the chain of oxidative reactions. 6 There is accumulating evidence that this antioxidative function is a key mechanism of protection against various diseases including cancer, atherosclerosis, and …