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The xanthophyll cycle involves the enzymatic removal of epoxy groups from xanthophylls
(e.g. violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, diadinoxanthin) to create so-called de-epoxidised
xanthophylls (e.g. diatoxanthin, zeaxanthin). These enzymatic cycles were found to play a
key role in stimulating energy dissipation within light-harvesting antenna proteins by non-
photochemical quenching- a mechanism to reduce the amount of energy that reaches the
photosynthetic reaction centers. Non-photochemical quenching is one of the main ways of
protecting against photoinhibition.[1] In higher plants there are three carotenoid pigments
that are active in the xanthophyll cycle: violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin.
During light stress violaxanthin is converted to zeaxanthin via the intermediate
antheraxanthin, which plays a direct photoprotective role acting as a lipid-protective anti-
oxidant and by stimulating non-photochemical quenching within light-harvesting proteins.
This conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin is done by the enzyme violaxanthin de-
epoxidase, while the reverse reaction is performed by zeaxanthin epoxidase[2]
Wright et al. (Feb 2011) found that, "The increase in zeaxanthin appears to surpass the
decrease in violaxanthin in spinach" and commented that the discrepancy could be
explained by "a synthesis of zeaxanthin from beta-carotene", however they noted further
study is required to explore this hypothesis
Wright et al. (Feb 2011) encontr que, "El aumento de la zeaxantina parece
superar a la disminucin de la violaxantina en las espinacas" y coment que la
discrepancia podra explicarse por "una sntesis de zeaxantina a partir de beta-
caroteno", sin embargo, tom nota de estudio en mayor profundidad para
explorar esta hiptesis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthophyll