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Trans–cis isomerisation of the carotenoid lycopene upon complexation with cholesteric polyester carriers investigated by Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory
Author(s) -
LópezRamírez, M. R.,
SanchezCortes S.,
PérezMéndez M.,
Blanch G.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/jrs.2570
Subject(s) - lycopene , polyester , isomerization , chemistry , raman spectroscopy , density functional theory , carotenoid , photochemistry , molecule , stereochemistry , organic chemistry , antioxidant , computational chemistry , biochemistry , physics , optics , catalysis
Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) were used in this work for the structural characterisation of lycopene, the antioxidant carotenoid, and its complexes with two synthetic thermotropic cholesteric polyesters. Both polyesters were employed successfully to encapsulate the carotenoid lycopene (Lyc). Besides protecting it from oxidation, they induced the trans–cis isomerisation of lycopene towards the more biologically active and bioavailable isomer cis‐Lyc. The Raman spectra revealed changes mainly concerning the band ν 1 and bands of methyl groups. This would explain the interaction mechanism between lycopene and cholesteric polyesters, inducing structural changes in the carotenoid by formation of a cis CC bond in central positions of the isomer chain and hydrophobic interaction that affects the side methyl groups. DFT calculations confirmed that the isomerisation occurs at central positions of lycopene molecule. The analysis of ν 1 and ν 2 bands and those of methyl groups in the calculated spectra of lycopene indicates that the interaction with the synthetic cholesteric polyesters could mainly lead to the 13‐cis‐Lyc isomer. The analysis of marker structural bands of the polyesters revealed structural changes in the host which mainly affect the ester groups, most probably due to a restructuring of the polyester chain to better accommodate the ligand. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.