Carotenoids are known to be superior quenchers of singlet oxygen. Thus, carotenoids, which are present in various vegetables, are widely thought to exert many health benefits and anti-aging effects. This study investigated the health effects of carotenoid and carotenoid-rich vegetable intake at each stage of life. Among carotenoids, the use of lycopene can be cost-prohibitive. Thus, attempts were made to extract lycopene from tomato skin using SC-CO2 (supercritical-carbon dioxide). Further, the carotenoid content, a potential antioxidant source, of 70 vegetables in Japan was determined by reversed-phase HPLC. These results were applied to the development of carrot juice and space food. Additionally, a new assay method to quantify the singlet oxygen absorption capacity (SOAC) of antioxidants, including carotenoids, and vegetable extracts was proposed.
