Resonance Raman: A powerful tool to interrogate carotenoids in biological matrices

Book series : Carotenoids: Biological Functions of Carotenoids and Apocarotenoids in Natural and Artificial Systems, Chapter four. Edited by Eleanore T. WurtzelInternational audienceResonance Raman spectroscopy is one of the most powerful techniques in analytical science due to its molecular selectivity, high sensitivity, and the fact that, in contrast to IR absorption spectroscopy, the presence of water does not hamper or mask the results. Originating in physics and chemistry, the use of Raman spectroscopy has spread and now includes a variety of applications in different disciplines, including biology. In this chapter, we introduce the basic principles of Raman and resonance Raman scattering, and show resonance Raman can be applied to study carotenoid molecules, in complex biological or chemical matrices. We describe the type of information that can be extracted from resonance Raman spectra, illustrating the power of this method by a series of example applications