Eduardo Silva & Ana M Edwards 
Flavins 
Photochemistry and Photobiology

Flavins and flavoproteins are a widely investigated and highly versatile group of compounds. Participation of these compounds in photochemistry and photobiology processes are of particular importance in the fields of biology, chemistry and medicine. Written by leading experts in the field each section of the book includes a historical overview of the subject, state of the art developments and future perspectives. Flavins: Photochemistry and Photobiology begins with the properties and applications of flavins, including their photochemistry in aqueous and organic solutions. Subsequent sections discuss riboflavin as a visible light sensitizer in the photo degradation of drugs, antiviral and antibacterial effects, the role of flavins in light induced toxicity and blue light initiated DNA repair by photolyase. Finally there are sections on the flavin based photoreceptors in plants, bacteria and eukaryotic photosynthetic flagelettes. This book brings together leading experts with a unique interdisciplinary emphasis, to provide an authoritative resource on flavins and their role in photochemistry and photobiology.

Table of Content

Preface; 1: General properties of flavins; 2: Photochemistry of flavins in aqueous and organic solvents; 3: Excited states interaction of flavins with amines. application to the initiation of vinyl polymerization; 4: Riboflavin as a visible-light-sensitiser in the aerobic photodegradation of ophthalmic and sympathomimetic drugs; 5: The antiviral and antibacterial properties of riboflavin and light: applications to blood safety and transfusion medicine; 6: Light-induced flavin toxicity; 7: Photoinduced processes in the eye lens: do flavins really play a role?; 8: Blue light-initiated DNA repair by photolyase; 9: Flavin-based photoreceptors in plants; 10: Flavin-based photoreceptors in bacteria; 11: Photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC), the photoreceptor flavoprotein with intrinsic effector function mediating euglenoid photomovements; 12: Mechanisms of light activation in flavin-binding photoreceptors