One of the mechanisms proposed for carotenoid protection of
both plant and animal tissues is the quenching of singlet oxygen
(Sies and Stahl, 1998). Singlet oxygen is capable of damaging
both DNA and lipids within cells (Edge et al., 1997). In organic
solvents, several carotenoids, including those already discussed,
have been found to have exceptional ability to quench singlet
oxygen