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1.
Effects of Heat-Killed Levilactobacillus brevis KB290 in Combination with β-Carotene on Influenza Virus Infection in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Satomi, S, Waki, N, Arakawa, C, Fujisawa, K, Suzuki, S, Suganuma, H
Nutrients. 2021;(9)
Abstract
Influenza, a seasonal acute respiratory disease caused primarily by the influenza virus A or B, manifests with severe symptoms leading to considerable morbidity and mortality and is a major concern worldwide. Therefore, effective preventive measures against it are required. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the preventive effects of heat-killed Levilactobacillus brevis KB290 (KB290) in combination with β-carotene (βC) on influenza virus infections in healthy Japanese subjects aged between 20 and 59 y throughout the winter season. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial from 16 December 2019 to 8 March 2020, comparing KB290 + βC beverage with placebo beverage. The primary endpoint was the incidence of influenza based on a doctor's certificate. The incidence of influenza was not significantly different between the two groups. However, the subgroup analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups (influenza incidence: the KB290 + βC group 1.9%, and the placebo group 3.9%) in the subgroup of subjects aged ˂40 y, but not in the subgroup of subjects aged ≥40 y. The results of this trial suggest that the combination of KB290 and βC might be a possible candidate supplement for protection against the seasonal influenza virus infection in humans aged <40 y, although further clinical studies are needed to confirm the concrete preventive effect of this combination on influenza.
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Nutritional Controlled Preparation and Administration of Different Tomato Purées Indicate Increase of β-Carotene and Lycopene Isoforms, and of Antioxidant Potential in Human Blood Bioavailability: A Pilot Study.
Vitucci, D, Amoresano, A, Nunziato, M, Muoio, S, Alfieri, A, Oriani, G, Scalfi, L, Frusciante, L, Rigano, MM, Pucci, P, et al
Nutrients. 2021;(4)
Abstract
The isoforms of lycopene, carotenoids, and their derivatives including precursors of vitamin A are compounds relevant for preventing chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Tomatoes are a major source of these compounds. However, cooking and successive metabolic processes determine the bioavailability of tomatoes in human nutrition. To evaluate the effect of acute/chronic cooking procedures on the bioavailability of lycopene and carotene isoforms in human plasma, we measured the blood levels of these compounds and of the serum antioxidant potential in volunteers after a meal containing two different types of tomato sauce (rustic or strained). Using a randomized cross-over administration design, healthy volunteers were studied, and the above indicated compounds were determined by HPLC. The results indicate an increased bioavailability of the estimated compounds and of the serum antioxidant potential with both types of tomato purée and the subsequently derived sauces (the increase was greater with strained purée). This study sheds light on the content of nutrient precursors of vitamin A and other antioxidant compounds derived from tomatoes cooked with different strategies. Lastly, our study indicates that strained purée should be preferred over rustic purée.
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Carotenoids from Cyanobacteria: Biotechnological Potential and Optimization Strategies.
Pagels, F, Vasconcelos, V, Guedes, AC
Biomolecules. 2021;(5)
Abstract
Carotenoids are tetraterpenoids molecules present in all photosynthetic organisms, responsible for better light-harvesting and energy dissipation in photosynthesis. In cyanobacteria, the biosynthetic pathway of carotenoids is well described, and apart from the more common compounds (e.g., β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and echinenone), specific carotenoids can also be found, such as myxoxanthophyll. Moreover, cyanobacteria have a protein complex called orange carotenoid protein (OCP) as a mechanism of photoprotection. Although cyanobacteria are not the organism of choice for the industrial production of carotenoids, the optimisation of their production and the evaluation of their bioactive capacity demonstrate that these organisms may indeed be a potential candidate for future pigment production in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach of biorefinery. Carotenoids-rich extracts are described as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumoral agents and are proposed for feed and cosmetical industries. Thus, several strategies for the optimisation of a cyanobacteria-based bioprocess for the obtention of pigments were described. This review aims to give an overview of carotenoids from cyanobacteria not only in terms of their chemistry but also in terms of their biotechnological applicability and the advances and the challenges in the production of such compounds.
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The effect of β-carotene on the mortality of male smokers is modified by smoking and by vitamins C and E: evidence against a uniform effect of nutrient.
Hemilä, H
Journal of nutritional science. 2020;:e11
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Abstract
A previous analysis of the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Study on male smokers found that β-carotene supplementation increased the risk of pneumonia 4-fold in those who started smoking at the age of ≥21 years and smoked ≥21 cigarettes/d (a subgroup of 7 % of the study population). The present study hypothesised that β-carotene increases mortality in the same subgroup. The ATBC Study (1985-1993) recruited 29 133 Finnish male smokers (≥5 cigarettes/d) aged 50-69 years. Cox regression models were constructed to estimate the effect of β-carotene supplementation in subgroups. β-Carotene increased mortality (risk ratio 1·56; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·3) in those who started to smoke at ≥21 years and smoked ≥21 cigarettes/d. Within this subgroup, there was strong evidence of further heterogeneity. The effect of β-carotene supplementation was further modified by dietary vitamin C intake, fruit and vegetable intake (P = 0·0004), and by vitamin E supplementation (P = 0·011). Thus, harm from β-carotene was not uniform within the study population. Interactions between β-carotene and vitamins C and E were seen only within a subgroup of 7 % of the ATBC participants, and therefore should not be extrapolated to the general population. Heterogeneity of the β-carotene effect on mortality challenges the validity of previous meta-analyses that have pooled many diverse antioxidants for one single estimate of effect using the assumption that a single estimate equally applies to all antioxidants and all people. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00342992.
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Bio-Based Nanoparticles as a Carrier of β-Carotene: Production, Characterisation and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion.
Afonso, BS, Azevedo, AG, Gonçalves, C, Amado, IR, Ferreira, EC, Pastrana, LM, Cerqueira, MA
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2020;(19)
Abstract
β-carotene loaded bio-based nanoparticles (NPs) were produced by the solvent-displacement method using two polymers: zein and ethylcellulose. The production of NPs was optimised through an experimental design and characterised in terms of average size and polydispersity index. The processing conditions that allowed to obtain NPs (<100 nm) were used for β-carotene encapsulation. Then β-carotene loaded NPs were characterised in terms of zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were performed for further morphological and chemical characterisation. In the end, a static in vitro digestion following the INFOGEST protocol was performed and the bioaccessibility of β-carotene encapsulated in both NPs was determined. Results show that the best conditions for a size-controlled production with a narrow size distribution are lower polymer concentrations and higher antisolvent concentrations. The encapsulation of β-carotene in ethylcellulose NPs resulted in nanoparticles with a mean average size of 60 ± 9 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 74 ± 2%. β-carotene loaded zein-based NPs resulted in a mean size of 83 ± 8 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 93 ± 4%. Results obtained from the in vitro digestion showed that β-carotene bioaccessibility when encapsulated in zein NPs is 37 ± 1%, which is higher than the value of 8.3 ± 0.1% obtained for the ethylcellulose NPs.
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Beta-carotene, telomerase activity and Alzheimer's disease in old age subjects.
Boccardi, V, Arosio, B, Cari, L, Bastiani, P, Scamosci, M, Casati, M, Ferri, E, Bertagnoli, L, Ciccone, S, Rossi, PD, et al
European journal of nutrition. 2020;(1):119-126
Abstract
PURPOSE Advancing age represents the strongest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the identification of biomarkers able to define what characterizes physiological aging from AD may represent a potential starting point for novel preventive strategies. Among these biomarkers, telomeres seem to be a promising target. Interestingly, high intake of carotenoid-rich food may play a role in protecting telomeres by oxidative stress reduction. Accordingly, low plasma β-carotene concentrations have been found in AD subjects when compared with cognitively healthy subjects. In this study, we aim at investigating the hypothesis that low β-carotene might be associated with markers of accelerated cellular aging, including leucocyte telomere length (LTL) and peripheral mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomerase activity in a cohort of old age subjects. METHODS The study was conducted in 68 old age subjects, 37 AD, and 31 age-matched healthy controls. In all subjects, β-carotene plasma level, LTL and peripheral telomerase activity were measured. RESULTS In all populations, β-carotene significantly and positively (r = 0.320, p = 0.008) correlated with telomerase activity, independent of gender. A model having telomerase activity levels as the dependent variable, and age, gender, smoking habit, and β-carotene as independent variables, confirmed that β-carotene was independently associated with telomerase activity (β = 0.319, p = 0.012). Subjects affected by AD had significantly lower plasmatic levels of β-carotene (448 ± 66 mg/ml vs 497 ± 59 mg/ml, p = 0.001) and LTL (0.53 ± 0.25 vs 0.69 ± 0.29; p = 0.009) as compared with healthy controls. Β-carotene plasma level was associated with AD diagnosis (OR 0.988; IC95% 0.978-0.997; p = 0.013) independently of age, gender, smoking habit, ApoE genotype, and LTL. CONCLUSION Our data show that β-carotene may modulate telomerase activity in old age. Moreover, lower plasma β-carotene levels, correlating with peripheral telomerase activity, are associated with AD diagnosis independent of multiple covariates.
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Acquired erythropoietic protoporphyria: A systematic review of the literature.
Snast, I, Kaftory, R, Sherman, S, Edel, Y, Hodak, E, Levi, A, Lapidoth, M
Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine. 2020;(1):29-33
Abstract
BACKGROUND Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a semi-dominantly inherited porphyria presenting with photosensitivity during early childhood. Acquired EPP has been reported; however, data regarding this rare disorder are scarce. PURPOSE To evaluate the characteristics of acquired EPP. METHODS A comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and clinicaltrials.gov databases was performed by three reviewers. Studies describing patients with acquired EPP were included. Additionally, we present an index case of a 26-year-old patient who acquired clinically and biochemically typical EPP in association with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). RESULTS We included 20 case reports describing 20 patients. Most (80%) patients were male of mean age 58 ± 13 years. In all patients, acquired EPP was associated with hematological disease, most commonly MDS (85%) followed by myeloproliferative disease (10%). In 86% of cases, hematological disease led to abnormality or somatic mutation in chromosome 18q (the locus of the ferrochelatase gene). The mean erythrocyte protoporphyrin IX concentration was very high (4286 μg/dL). Most (90%) patients presented with photosensitivity, 20% experienced blistering, and 25% presented with hepatic insufficiency, both uncommon in EPP. In 55% of patients, hematological disease was diagnosed after occurrence of cutaneous symptoms. Beta-carotene led to partial control of symptoms in 5 patients and resolution in another patient. Azacitidine treatment of MDS led to resolution of cutaneous symptoms in three patients. CONCLUSION We present the distinct features of acquired EPP and highlight that any patient presenting with new-onset photosensitivity, irrespective of age should be evaluated for porphyria.
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Dietary and circulating vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene and risk of total cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies.
Jayedi, A, Rashidy-Pour, A, Parohan, M, Zargar, MS, Shab-Bidar, S
Public health nutrition. 2019;(10):1872-1887
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present review aimed to quantify the association of dietary intake and circulating concentration of major dietary antioxidants with risk of total CVD mortality. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING Systematic search in PubMed and Scopus, up to October 2017.ParticipantsProspective observational studies reporting risk estimates of CVD mortality across three or more categories of dietary intakes and/or circulating concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E and β-carotene were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS A total of fifteen prospective cohort studies and three prospective evaluations within interventional studies (320 548 participants and 16 974 cases) were analysed. The relative risks of CVD mortality for the highest v. the lowest category of antioxidant intakes were as follows: vitamin C, 0·79 (95 % CI 0·68, 0·89; I 2=46 %, n 10); vitamin E, 0·91 (95 % CI 0·79, 1·03; I 2=51 %, n 8); β-carotene, 0·89 (95 % CI 0·73, 1·05; I 2=34 %, n 4). The relative risks for circulating concentrations were: vitamin C, 0·60 (95 % CI 0·42, 0·78; I 2=65 %, n 6); α-tocopherol, 0·82 (95 % CI 0·76, 0·88; I 2=0 %, n 5); β-carotene, 0·68 (95 % CI 0·52, 0·83; I 2=50 %, n 6). Dose-response meta-analyses demonstrated that the circulating biomarkers of antioxidants were more strongly associated with risk of CVD mortality than dietary intakes. CONCLUSIONS The present meta-analysis demonstrates that higher vitamin C intake and higher circulating concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E and β-carotene are associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality.
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Reduction of Serum Concentrations and Synergy between Retinol, β-Carotene, and Zinc According to Cancer Staging and Different Treatment Modalities Prior to Radiation Therapy in Women with Breast Cancer.
Rosa, C, Franca, C, Lanes Vieira, S, Carvalho, A, Penna, A, Nogueira, C, Lessa, S, Ramalho, A
Nutrients. 2019;(12)
Abstract
UNLABELLED The procedures used for breast cancer treatment are able to increase the level of oxidative stress and cause depletion of antioxidants. OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between serum concentrations of retinol, β-carotene, and zinc, according to breast cancer staging, considering different treatment modalities prior to radiation therapy and the synergistic action between these micronutrients. METHODS This is a cross-sectional observational study comprising a cohort of patients with breast cancer which was carried out prior to radiation therapy. Patients were divided into 3 groups: G1 comprised women who had undergone breast-conserving surgery, G2 comprised those who had undergone chemotherapy, and G3 those who had undergone breast-conserving surgery and chemotherapy. Serum concentrations of retinol, β-carotene, and zinc were quantified. Breast cancer staging was based on the TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis) classification of malignant tumors, a type of staging tool for different cancers. RESULTS A total of 230 patients were assessed. A decrease of the serum concentrations of the micronutrients assessed as the staging level of the disease increased was observed. Surgery alone had a greater negative impact on serum concentrations of retinol. Considering the treatments prior to radiotherapy, patients undergoing surgery alone and chemotherapy associated with surgery had higher percentages of deficiency of β-carotene and retinol. There was a positive correlation between the concentrations of zinc, retinol, and β-carotene, showing a synergy between these micronutrients. CONCLUSION A significant reduction in the serum concentrations of the assessed micronutrients was observed, according to the increase in breast cancer staging. The synergy between the micronutrients must be considered in order to maximize the benefits and minimize the adverse effects of irradiation to normal cells.
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Effect of temperature, oxygen and light on the degradation of β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol in spray-dried spinach juice powder during storage.
Syamila, M, Gedi, MA, Briars, R, Ayed, C, Gray, DA
Food chemistry. 2019;:188-197
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between packaging parameters (transmission of light and oxygen) and storage temperatures (4, 20, 40 °C) on nutrient retention of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) juice, spray-dried in the absence of an added encapsulant. β-Carotene was more susceptible to degradation compared with lutein and α-tocopherol. Under our experimental conditions, it was observed that excluding low fluorescent light intensity and air by vacuum packaging at 20 °C did not seem to improve nutrient retention loss over time (p > 0.05). The rate of β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol loss displayed first order reaction kinetic with low activation energy of 0.665, 2.650 and 13.893 kJ/mol for vacuum, and 1.089, 4.923 and 14.142 kJ/mol for non-vacuum, respectively. The reaction kinetics and half-life for β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol at 4 °C and non-vacuumed were 2.2 × 10-2, 1.2 × 10-2, and 0.8 × 10-2 day-1, and 32.08, 58.25 and 85.37 day, respectively.