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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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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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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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Transcriptome Profiling Provides Insight into the Genes in Carotenoid Biosynthesis during the Mesocarp and Seed Developmental Stages of Avocado (Persea americana).
Ge, Y, Cheng, Z, Si, X, Ma, W, Tan, L, Zang, X, Wu, B, Xu, Z, Wang, N, Zhou, Z, et al
International journal of molecular sciences. 2019;(17)
Abstract
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an economically important crop because of its high nutritional value. However, the absence of a sequenced avocado reference genome has hindered investigations of secondary metabolism. For next-generation high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, we obtained 365,615,152 and 348,623,402 clean reads as well as 109.13 and 104.10 Gb of sequencing data for avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively, during five developmental stages. High-quality reads were assembled into 100,837 unigenes with an average length of 847.40 bp (N50 = 1725 bp). Additionally, 16,903 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, 17 of which were related to carotenoid biosynthesis. The expression levels of most of these 17 DEGs were higher in the mesocarp than in the seed during five developmental stages. In this study, the avocado mesocarp and seed transcriptome were also sequenced using single-molecule long-read sequencing to acquired 25.79 and 17.67 Gb clean data, respectively. We identified 233,014 and 238,219 consensus isoforms in avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively. Furthermore, 104 and 59 isoforms were found to correspond to the putative 11 carotenoid biosynthetic-related genes in the avocado mesocarp and seed, respectively. The isoform numbers of 10 out of the putative 11 genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway were higher in the mesocarp than those in the seed. Besides, alpha- and beta-carotene contents in the avocado mesocarp and seed during five developmental stages were also measured, and they were higher in the mesocarp than in the seed, which validated the results of transcriptome profiling. Gene expression changes and the associated variations in gene dosage could influence carotenoid biosynthesis. These results will help to further elucidate carotenoid biosynthesis in avocado.
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Tomato Phytonutrients Balance UV Response: Results from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.
Groten, K, Marini, A, Grether-Beck, S, Jaenicke, T, Ibbotson, SH, Moseley, H, Ferguson, J, Krutmann, J
Skin pharmacology and physiology. 2019;(2):101-108
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our previous double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over study indicated that a nutritional supplement named lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex (TNC) can protect from UVA1-induced (340-400 nm) and UVA- (320-400 nm)/UVB-induced (280-320 nm) upregulation of molecular markers associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and ageing. OBJECTIVES in the current double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study, we analyze whether a similar, synergistic carotenoid-rich TNC can protect from broadband UVB-induced threshold erythema formation assessed as increase in minimal erythemal dose (MED) reading, the intensity of erythema formation, and the upregulation of molecular markers associated with inflammation and immunosuppression, and whether this correlates with carotenoid blood levels. METHODS One hundred and forty-nine healthy volunteers were randomized to two groups and subjected to a 5-week washout phase, followed by a 12-week treatment phase receiving either 15 mg lycopene, 5.8 mg phytoene and phytofluene, 0.8 mg β-carotene, 5.6 mg tocopherols from tomato extract, and 4 mg carnosic acid from rosemary extract per day or placebo made from medium-chain triglycerides. At the end of each phase, MED determination, UVB irradiation, chromametry, biopsies, and blood samples were undertaken. RESULTS The active supplement was well tolerated. Interestingly, no significant difference was seen in the MED between the active-supplement and placebo groups, as determined by visual grading by expert assessors. Of note, the carotenoid-containing supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced erythema formation measured as Δa* after the intervention minus Δa* after the washout phase as compared to the placebo. Moreover, intake of the active supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced upregulation of IL6 and TNFα as compared with the intake of placebo. Lastly, carotenoid plasma levels were significantly increased. CONCLUSION This well-tolerated carotenoid-containing supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced erythema formation and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in healthy volunteers.
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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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Carotenoids, fatty acids and disease burden in obese minority adolescents with asthma.
Tobias, TAM, Wood, LG, Rastogi, D
Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2019;(6):838-846
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Paediatric obesity-related asthma causes high disease burden, is associated with metabolic abnormalities, has few therapeutic options, and disproportionately affects urban minority children. Although poor diet quality is linked to asthma, the association of nutritional status with disease burden among children with obesity-related asthma is not well understood. OBJECTIVE To quantify nutritional status, defined as concentrations of serum carotenoids and n-3 fatty acids, and its association with pulmonary function and metabolic markers among obese asthmatic children. METHODS We quantified serum carotenoids and fatty acids in a study cohort of 158 urban minority adolescents including 39 obese asthmatics, 39 healthy weight asthmatics, 38 obese controls and 42 healthy weight controls and compared between the groups. We correlated carotenoid and fatty acid levels with pulmonary function indices and with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. RESULTS Mean total carotenoids were lowest in obese asthmatic children (0.41 μg/mL), lower than healthy weight asthmatics (0.52 μg/mL, P < 0.05) and healthy weight controls (0.60 μg/mL, P < 0.001). n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio also differed between the groups (P < 0.05). Total carotenoids positively correlated with per cent-predicted FEV1 and inversely correlated with insulin resistance among obese asthmatics only. n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio inversely correlated with per cent-predicted FEV1 in obese asthmatics. CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE Our findings suggest that carotenoids, which are lowest in obese asthmatic children, may have protective effects on metabolic health and pulmonary function among obese asthmatic children. Similarly, n-3 PUFA appear to be protective for pulmonary function.
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Application of blood concentration biomarkers in nutritional epidemiology: example of carotenoid and tocopherol intake in relation to chronic disease risk.
Prentice, RL, Pettinger, M, Neuhouser, ML, Tinker, LF, Huang, Y, Zheng, C, Manson, JE, Mossavar-Rahmani, Y, Anderson, GL, Lampe, JW
The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2019;(4):1189-1196
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomarkers provide potential to objectively measure the intake of nutrients and foods, and thereby to strengthen nutritional epidemiology association studies. However, there are only a few established intake biomarkers, mostly based on recovery of nutrients or their metabolites in urine. Blood concentration measures provide a potential biomarker source for many additional nutritional variables, but their use in disease-association studies requires further development. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to apply recently proposed serum-based carotenoid and tocopherol intake biomarkers and to examine their association with the incidence of major cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes in a subset of Women's Health Initiative (WHI) cohorts. METHODS Serum concentrations of α- and β-carotene, lutein plus zeaxanthin (L + Z), and α-tocopherol were routinely measured at baseline in a subset of 5488 enrollees in WHI cohorts. Intake biomarkers for these 4 micronutrients, obtained by combining serum concentrations with participant characteristics, were recently proposed using a 153-woman feeding study within WHI. These biomarker equations are augmented here to include pertinent disease risk factors and are associated with subsequent chronic disease incidence in this WHI subset. RESULTS HRs for a doubling of micronutrient intake differed only moderately from the null for the outcomes considered. However, somewhat lower risks of specific cardiovascular outcomes, breast cancer, and diabetes were associated with a higher intake of α- and β-carotene, lower risk of diabetes was associated with higher L + Z intake, and elevated risks of certain cardiovascular outcomes were associated with a higher intake of α-tocopherol. These patterns remained following the exclusion of baseline users of dietary supplements. CONCLUSIONS Concentration biomarkers can be calculated from blood specimens obtained in large epidemiologic cohorts and applied directly in disease-association analyses, without relying on self-reported dietary data. Observed associations between carotenoid and tocopherol biomarkers and chronic disease risk could be usefully evaluated further using stored serum specimens on the entire WHI cohort. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00000611.
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Carotenoids retention in biofortified yellow cassava processed with traditional African methods.
Taleon, V, Sumbu, D, Muzhingi, T, Bidiaka, S
Journal of the science of food and agriculture. 2019;(3):1434-1441
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Biofortified yellow cassava is being cultivated in countries with high cassava consumption to improve its population's vitamin A status. The carotenoid retention in biofortified cassava when processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue was evaluated in this study. Commercial biofortified varieties Kindisa and Vuvu and the experimental genotypes MVZ2011B/360 and MVZ2012/044 were used. Fresh cassava roots were processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue. Provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) content of fresh and processed cassava was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and total carotenoids was measured by spectrophotometer. RESULTS pVACs content of fresh peeled cassava was 1.79-6.65 µg g-1 on a fresh weight basis, whereas in boiled cassava, fufu, and chikwangue the pVACs content was 1.71-6.91 µg g-1 , 0.04-0.37 µg g-1 , and 0.52-1.75 µg g-1 respectively. True retention of carotenoids after cooking was 93.2-96.8%, 0.8-3.1%, and 4.0-18.1% for boiled cassava, fufu, and chikwangue respectively. Significant total carotenoids loss was observed during storage. CONCLUSION The results indicated that biofortified boiled cassava could be an effective food product to improve pVACs intake in areas where vitamin A deficiency exists, and processing of chikwangue and fufu should be improved before promoting biofortified cassava in vitamin-A-deficient areas with high cassava consumption. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Photoactivation Mechanism, Timing of Protein Secondary Structure Dynamics and Carotenoid Translocation in the Orange Carotenoid Protein.
Konold, PE, van Stokkum, IHM, Muzzopappa, F, Wilson, A, Groot, ML, Kirilovsky, D, Kennis, JTM
Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2019;(1):520-530
Abstract
The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a two-domain photoactive protein that noncovalently binds an echinenone (ECN) carotenoid and mediates photoprotection in cyanobacteria. In the dark, OCP assumes an orange, inactive state known as OCPO; blue light illumination results in the red active state, known as OCPR. The OCPR state is characterized by large-scale structural changes that involve dissociation and separation of C-terminal and N-terminal domains accompanied by carotenoid translocation into the N-terminal domain. The mechanistic and dynamic-structural relations between photon absorption and formation of the OCPR state have remained largely unknown. Here, we employ a combination of time-resolved UV-visible and (polarized) mid-infrared spectroscopy to assess the electronic and structural dynamics of the carotenoid and the protein secondary structure, from femtoseconds to 0.5 ms. We identify a hereto unidentified carotenoid excited state in OCP, the so-called S* state, which we propose to play a key role in breaking conserved hydrogen-bond interactions between carotenoid and aromatic amino acids in the binding pocket. We arrive at a comprehensive reaction model where the hydrogen-bond rupture with conserved aromatic side chains at the carotenoid β1-ring in picoseconds occurs at a low yield of <1%, whereby the β1-ring retains a trans configuration with respect to the conjugated π-electron chain. This event initiates structural changes at the N-terminal domain in 1 μs, which allow the carotenoid to translocate into the N-terminal domain in 10 μs. We identified infrared signatures of helical elements that dock on the C-terminal domain β-sheet in the dark and unfold in the light to allow domain separation. These helical elements do not move within the experimental range of 0.5 ms, indicating that domain separation occurs on longer time scales, lagging carotenoid translocation by at least 2 decades of time.