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1.
A review of factors that affect carotenoid concentrations in human plasma: differences between Mediterranean and Northern diets.
Marhuenda-Muñoz, M, Hurtado-Barroso, S, Tresserra-Rimbau, A, Lamuela-Raventós, RM
European journal of clinical nutrition. 2019;(Suppl 1):18-25
Abstract
Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments of autotroph organisms that have been related to many health benefits and this is not only because some of them are precursors of vitamin A. Individual or whole carotenoid consumption has been associated with a lower risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases among others. However, the blood levels of carotenoids vary largely from person to person due to different factors. Diet is the most important one because of the dietary patterns that different populations follow, the time of the year of consumption or the personal preferences. Nevertheless, the intrinsic host factors such as the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion genetic polymorphisms, the volume of distribution and the person's microbiota and others such as carotenoid interactions are also inducing this so called inter-individual variability. Besides, culinary methods and processing produce changes in the foods that directly affect carotenoid content and hence their blood profile. Different types of studies have been performed to understand the between-subject variation of the carotenoid profile in human plasma. This research is focused on this matter as levels of carotenoids in human plasma could be useful for the prediction of some diseases. The Mediterranean diet is probably the most carotenoid rich diet stemming from its high proportion of fruits and vegetables. Its differences with other diets and the effect on the carotenoid blood profile of the consumers are currently a very interesting topic of study.
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2.
Therapeutic effects of Crocin in autoimmune diseases: A review.
Korani, S, Korani, M, Sathyapalan, T, Sahebkar, A
BioFactors (Oxford, England). 2019;(6):835-843
Abstract
The immune system when acts against selfmolecules results in an imbalance in immunologic tolerance leading to the development of several autoimmune diseases (ADs) such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, ulcerative colitis, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Improved recognition of the mechanisms of ADs has led to the advancement of the management of these diseases. The principal mediators of ADs are inflammatory molecules. The herbal medicines due to their antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties have an important role in the management of ADs. Crocin is the principal chemical component extracted from saffron, which is a medicinal plant. This review focuses on the therapeutic effects of Crocin in various ADs.
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3.
A hypothesis about the origin of carotenoid lipid droplets in the green algae Dunaliella and Haematococcus.
Pick, U, Zarka, A, Boussiba, S, Davidi, L
Planta. 2019;(1):31-47
Abstract
Hypercarotenogenesis in green algae evolved by mutation of PSY that increased its transcription at high light, disintegration of the eyespot in Dunaliella and acquisition of the capacity to export carotenoids from chloroplasts in Haematococcus. Carotenoids (Car) are lipid-soluble pigments synthesized in plants, algae, bacteria and fungi. Car have strong antioxidative properties and as such are utilized to reduce the danger of different diseases in humans. Two green microalgae are utilized as rich natural sources for Car: Dunaliella salina/bardawil accumulates 10% (w/w) β-carotene (βC), which is also pro-vitamin A, and Haematococcus pluvialis accumulates 4% (w/w) astaxanthin (Ast), the strongest antioxidant among Car. D. bardawil accumulates βC in plastoglobules within the chloroplast, whereas H. pluvialis deposits Ast in cytoplasmic lipid droplets (CLD). In this review we compare the hypercarotenogenic responses (HCR) in Dunaliella and in Haematococcus and try to outline hypothetical evolutionary pathways for its origin. We propose that a mutation in phytoene synthetase that increased its transcription level in response to high light stress had a pivotal role in the evolution of the HCR. Proteomic analyses indicated that in D. bardawil/salina the HCR evolved from dissociation and amplification of eyespot lipid globules. The more robust HCR in algae that accumulate carotenoids in CLD, such as H. pluvialis, required also acquisition of the capacity to export βC out of the chloroplast and its enzymatic conversion into Ast.
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4.
Potential of Microalgae Carotenoids for Industrial Application.
Cezare-Gomes, EA, Mejia-da-Silva, LDC, Pérez-Mora, LS, Matsudo, MC, Ferreira-Camargo, LS, Singh, AK, de Carvalho, JCM
Applied biochemistry and biotechnology. 2019;(3):602-634
Abstract
Microalgae cultivation, when compared to the growth of higher plants, presents many advantages such as faster growth, higher biomass productivity, and smaller land area requirement for cultivation. For this reason, microalgae are an alternative platform for carotenoid production when compared to the traditional sources. Currently, commercial microalgae production is not well developed but, fortunately, there are several studies aiming to make the large-scale production feasible by, for example, employing different cultivation systems. This review focuses on the main carotenoids from microalgae, comparing them to the traditional sources, as well as a critical analysis about different microalgae cultivation regimes that are currently available and applicable for carotenoid accumulation. Throughout this review paper, we present relevant information about the main commercial microalgae carotenoid producers; the comparison between carotenoid content from food, vegetables, fruits, and microalgae; and the great importance and impact of these molecule applications, such as in food (nutraceuticals and functional foods), cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, feed (colorants and additives), and healthcare area. Lastly, the different operating systems applied to these photosynthetic cultivations are critically discussed, and conclusions and perspectives are made concerning the best operating system for acquiring high cell densities and, consequently, high carotenoid accumulation.
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5.
Ocular Carotenoid Status in Health and Disease.
Sauer, L, Li, B, Bernstein, PS
Annual review of nutrition. 2019;:95-120
Abstract
Retinal carotenoids are dietary nutrients that uniquely protect the eye from light damage and various retinal pathologies. Their antioxidative properties protect the eye from many retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration. As many retinal diseases are accompanied by low carotenoid levels, accurate noninvasive assessment of carotenoid status can help ophthalmologists identify the patients most likely to benefit from carotenoid supplementation. This review focuses on the different methods available to assess carotenoid status and highlights disease-related changes and potential nutritional interventions.
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The development and release of maize fortified with provitamin A carotenoids in developing countries.
Manjeru, P, Van Biljon, A, Labuschagne, M
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2019;(8):1284-1293
Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies have been identified as major public health problems affecting a large part of the world's population. Biofortification of staple crops like maize has been proposed as one of the most cost effective and feasible approaches to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Studies have shown that provitamin A from biofortified crops is highly bioavailable and has the capacity to improve vitamin A status of vulnerable groups. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on maize and many people may benefit from consumption of provitamin A carotenoid biofortified maize, especially women and children. With the exception of transgenic golden rice, biofortified crops have received considerable acceptance by most communities. Negative perceptions associated with yellow maize do not affect orange maize, which is, for example, well-liked in rural Zambia. With proper policy frameworks and full commercialization, provitamin A maize can address the problem of vitamin A deficiencies among poor nations with maize-based diets.
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7.
Genetic factors involved in the bioavailability of tomato carotenoids.
Desmarchelier, C, Landrier, JF, Borel, P
Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. 2018;(6):489-497
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To provide an update on the genetic factors recently associated with the interindividual variability of tomato carotenoid bioavailability. RECENT FINDINGS Several clinical studies have demonstrated that the main carotenoids found in tomatoes (lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, β-carotene, lutein) all display relatively large interindividual variabilities of their bioavailability, with coefficients of variations more than 70%. The bioavailability of the parent molecules, and the blood/tissue appearance of their metabolites, is modulated by numerous proteins, involved in intestinal absorption and metabolism, blood lipoprotein transport or tissue uptake. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with the interindividual variability of lycopene, lutein and β-carotene bioavailability, with six genes consistently shared between the three carotenoids, and in particular one SNP in ELOVL fatty acid elongase 2. The effects of the genetic variants taken separately are relatively low, that is each variant is usually associated with only a few percentage of the variability but multivariate analyses suggest that the additive effect of several genetic variants can explain a significant fraction of tomato carotenoid bioavailability. SUMMARY Additional studies are needed to improve our knowledge of the genetic determinants of tomato carotenoid bioavailability but progress in this field could one day allow nutritionists to provide more personalized dietary recommendations.
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[Efficacy of lycopene intake in primary prevention of prostate cancer: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.].
Cataño, JG, Trujillo, CG, Caicedo, JI, Bravo-Balado, A, Robledo, D, Mariño-Alvarez, AM, Pedraza, A, Arcila, MJ, Plata, M
Archivos espanoles de urologia. 2018;(2):187-197
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of lycopene intake in primary prevention of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS A systematic search of the literature was conducted in March 2015 and the articles published between the years 1990-2015 were reviewed. The following search terms were used: prostate cancer, prostatic neoplasm, lycopene, prevention, effectiveness and efficacy (MeSH). Publications including research in humans, written in English and whose texts were accessible were reviewed. The types of studies included were: clinical trials, cohort and case-control studies. We found 343 articles; of these, 27 were included in the systematic review. After the latter were rigorously analyzed, 23 were included in the meta-analysis using the pooled odds ratios (OR) and risk ratios (RR) of case-control and cohort studies, respectively, and their confidence intervals (95% CI), using random-effects models with Review Manager 5.2. RESULTS Out of the 27 articles included in the systematic review, 22 were case-control and 5 were cohort studies. For the case-control studies, the total number of patients with PCa was 13,999 and the total number of controls 22,028. Cohort studies included 187,417 patients and PCa was diagnosed in 8,619 of these. The metaanalysis determined an OR = 0.94 (IC 95% 0.89-1.00) and RR = 0.9 (IC 95% 0.85-0.95) of PCa related with lycopene and/or raw or cooked tomatoes intake. CONCLUSIONS Although our study found that there is a statistically significant inverse association between lycopene intake and PCa, the magnitude of this association is weak and comes solely from observational studies, which do not allow recommending its use as a standard of practice. High-quality randomized clinical trials are required to clarify current evidence.
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From carotenoids to strigolactones.
Jia, KP, Baz, L, Al-Babili, S
Journal of experimental botany. 2018;(9):2189-2204
Abstract
Strigolactones are phytohormones that regulate various plant developmental and adaptation processes. When released into soil, strigolactones act as chemical signals, attracting symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and inducing seed germination in root-parasitic weeds. Strigolactones are carotenoid derivatives, characterized by the presence of a butenolide ring that is connected by an enol ether bridge to a less conserved second moiety. Carotenoids are isopenoid pigments that differ in structure, number of conjugated double bonds, and stereoconfiguration. Genetic analysis and enzymatic studies have demonstrated that strigolactones originate from all-trans-β-carotene in a pathway that involves the all-trans-/9-cis-β-carotene isomerase DWARF27 and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 7 and 8 (CCD7, 8). The CCD7-mediated, regiospecific and stereospecific double-bond cleavage of 9-cis-β-carotene leads to a 9-cis-configured intermediate that is converted by CCD8 via a combination of reactions into the central metabolite carlactone. By catalyzing repeated oxygenation reactions that can be coupled to ring closure, CYP711 enzymes convert carlactone into tricyclic-ring-containing canonical and non-canonical strigolactones. Modifying enzymes, which are mostly unknown, further increase the diversity of strigolactones. This review explores carotenogenesis, provides an update on strigolactone biosynthesis, with emphasis on the substrate specificity and reactions catalyzed by the different enzymes, and describes the regulation of the biosynthetic pathway.
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10.
Carotenoid Metabolism in Plants: The Role of Plastids.
Sun, T, Yuan, H, Cao, H, Yazdani, M, Tadmor, Y, Li, L
Molecular plant. 2018;(1):58-74
Abstract
Carotenoids are indispensable to plants and critical in human diets. Plastids are the organelles for carotenoid biosynthesis and storage in plant cells. They exist in various types, which include proplastids, etioplasts, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts. These plastids have dramatic differences in their capacity to synthesize and sequester carotenoids. Clearly, plastids play a central role in governing carotenogenic activity, carotenoid stability, and pigment diversity. Understanding of carotenoid metabolism and accumulation in various plastids expands our view on the multifaceted regulation of carotenogenesis and facilitates our efforts toward developing nutrient-enriched food crops. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of various types of plastids on carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation, and discuss recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory control of carotenogenesis and metabolic engineering of carotenoids in light of plastid types in plants.