QUENCHING MECHANISMS AND KINETICS OF CAROTENOIDS IN RIBOFLAVIN PHOTOSENSITIZED SINGLET OXYGEN OXIDATION OF VITAMIN D2

The oxidation of vitamin D₂ in a solution of 12% water, 88% acetone and 15 ppm ribqflavin under light or dark was studied by measuring the headspace oxygen. Ribofiavin accelerated the oxidation of vitamin D₂ by singlet oxygen under light, but did not affect vitamin D₂ oxidation under dark. Quenching mechanisms and kinetics within the range of 0–20 ppm β‐cawtene or fucoxanthin and with 0–80 ppm retinyl acetate or retinol on 15 ppm riboflavin photosensitized singlet oxygen oxidation of vitamin D₂ were also studied. The rate of singlet oxygen formation by 15 ppm riboflavin was 1.78 umole oxygen/mL headspace‐hour. The reaction rate constant of vitamin D₂ with singlet oxygen was 2.2 times 10⁷ M^?1A s^?1. The carotenoids minimized the oxidation of vitamin D₂ by quenching singlet oxygen. The total quenching rate constants of retinol, retinyl acetate, jucoxanthin and ft‐carotene were in the order of 1.22 times 10⁸, 5.98 times 10⁸, 1.78 times 10⁹ and 5.00 times 10⁹M^?1. s^?1 respectively, which suggests that as the number of double bonds of carotenoids increases, the quenching rate constant ofcarotenoid increases.