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Diet quality indices can predict nutritional adequacy of usual intake, but validity should be determined. The aim was to assess the validity of total and sub-scale score within the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), in relation to fasting plasma carotenoid concentrations. Diet quality and fasting plasma carotenoid concentrations were assessed in 99 overweight and obese adults (49.5% female, aged 44.6 ± 9.9 years) at baseline and after three months (198 paired observations). Associations were assessed using Spearman’s correlation coefficients and regression analysis, and agreement using weighted kappa (Kw). Small, significantly positive correlations were found between total ARFS and plasma concentrations of total carotenoids (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), β-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.18, p < 0.05), β-carotene (r = 0.20, p < 0.01), and α-carotene (r = 0.19, p < 0.01). Significant agreement between ARFS categories and plasma carotenoid concentrations was found for total carotenoids (Kw 0.12, p = 0.02), β-carotene (Kw 0.14, p < 0.01), and α-carotene (Kw 0.13, p < 0.01). In fully-adjusted regression models the only signification association with ARFS total score was for α-carotene (β = 0.19, p < 0.01), while ARFS meat and fruit sub-scales demonstrated significant relationships with α-carotene, β-carotene, and total carotenoids (p < 0.05). The weak associations highlight the issues with self-reporting dietary intakes in overweight and obese populations. Further research is required to evaluate the use of the ARFS in more diverse populations.

cope β-Cryptoxanthin is an abundant carotenoid in fruits and vegetables that can be quantified in human blood-serum. Yet, contrary to other carotenoids, its effects on endothelial cells and angiogenesis remain unknown. Methods and results Human umbilical-vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were treated with 0.01, 0.1 or 1 μM of β-cryptoxanthin. Antioxidant activity was determined by its free radical scavenging and oxygen-radical absorbance capacity (ABTS and ORAC assays). Effect on migration and formation of tubular structures was studied. Additionally, effect on angiogenesis was also analyzed using an in vivo model. β-Cryptoxanthin exhibited scavenging ability, having antioxidant effect on HUVEC. Interestingly, β-cryptoxanthin reduced their migration and angiogenesis, even in presence of vascular endothelial growth-factor (VEGF). Additionally, such carotenoid inhibited in vivo angiogenesis induced by VEGF. Besides, treatment of HUVEC with LE540 [retinoic-acid receptor (RAR) panantagonist] inhibited β-cryptoxanthin antiangiogenic effect on HUVEC. Conclusion β-Cryptoxanthin inhibits angiogenesis through RAR. Thus, this carotenoid and food containing it may be useful for prevention and treatment of angiogenic pathologies. That includes tumoral growth and wet macular-degeneration associated to aging. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the antioxidant effect and antiangiogenic activity of such carotenoid on HUVEC, both in vitro and in vivo. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

We investigated the transcriptional regulation of six genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, together with the carotenoid accumulation during postharvest ripening of three different papaya genotypes of contrasting pulp color. Red-pulp genotype (RPG) showed the lowest content of yellow pigments (YP), such as β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and violaxanthin, together with the lowest relative expression levels (REL) of CpLCY-β2 and CpCHX-β genes. On the contrary, the yellow-pulp genotype (YPG) showed the highest content of YP and the highest REL of CpLCY-β2 and CpCHX-β genes. Interestingly, the orange-pulp genotype (OPG) showed intermediate content of YP and intermediate REL of CpLCY-β2 and CpCHX-β genes. The highest content of β-carotene shown by OPG despite having an intermediate REL of the CpLCY-β2 genes, suggests a post-transcriptional regulation. Thus, the transcriptional level of the genes, directing the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, can partially explain the accumulation of carotenoids during the postharvest ripening in C. papaya genotypes of contrasting pulp color.

The aim of this experiment was to determine the effects of β-cryptoxanthin (BCX) on the cardiometabolic health risk factors and NF-κB and Nrf2 pathway in insulin resistance induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in rodents. Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into four groups: (1) Control, rats fed a standard diet for 12 weeks; (2) BCX, rats fed a standard diet and supplemented with BCX (2.5 mg/kg BW) for 12 weeks; (3) HFD, rats fed a HFD for 12 weeks, (4) HFD + BCX, rats fed a HFD and supplemented with BCX for 12 weeks. BCX reduced cardio-metabolic health markers and decreased inflammatory markers (P < 0.001). Rats fed a HFD had the lower total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzymes activities and higher MDA concentration than control rats (P < 0.001 for all). Comparing with the HFD group, BCX in combination with HFD inhibited liver NF-κB and TNF-α expression by 22% and 14% and enhanced liver Nrf2, HO-1, PPAR-α, and p-IRS-1 by 1.43, 1.41, 3.53, and 1.33 fold, respectively (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in adipose tissue, BCX up-regulated Nrf2, HO-1, PPAR-α, and p-IRS-1 expression, whereas, down-regulated NF-κB and TNF-α expression. In conclusion, BCX decreased visceral fat and cardiometabolic health risk factors through modulating expressions of nuclear transcription factors.

cope Previous epidemiological studies on the association between circulating carotenoids and the risk of colorectal cancer drew inconclusive conclusions. This study aimed to examine serum carotenoids in relation to colorectal cancer risk in a Chinese population. Methods and results One case-control study beginning from July 2010, consecutively recruited 538 eligible colorectal cancer cases and 564 age (5-year interval) and sex frequency-matched controls. Serum levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and lutein/ zeaxanthin were detected by HPLC. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence internal (CI) after adjusting for various confounders. Serum levels of α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene were found to be inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. The adjusted ORs of the highest quartile relative to the lowest quartile serum level were 0.49 (95% CIs 0.33–0.72) for α-carotene, 0.44 (95% CIs 0.29–0.66) for β-cryptoxanthin, and 0.36 (95% CIs 0.24–0.54) for lycopene, respectively. The association between serum β-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin and colorectal cancer risk was not statistically significant. Conclusion The results indicated that incidence of colorectal cancer was associated with lower serum levels of α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene among Chinese population residing in Guangdong. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Scope β-Cryptoxanthin (BCX) can be cleaved by both β-carotene 15,15'-oxygenase (BCO1) and β-carotene 9',10'-oxygenase (BCO2), generating biological active vitamin A and apocarotenoids. We examined whether BCX feeding could inhibit diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated, highly refined carbohydrate diet (HRCD)-promoted hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, dependent or independent of BCO1/BCO2 activity. Methods and results Two-week-old male wild-type (WT) and BCO1-/- /BCO2-/- double knockout (DKO) mice are given a single intraperitoneal injection of DEN (25 mg kg-1 body weight) to initiate hepatic carcinogenesis. At 6 weeks of age, all animals are fed HRCD (66.5% of energy from carbohydrate) with or without BCX for 24 weeks. BCX feeding increases hepatic vitamin A levels in WT mice, but not in DKO mice that shows a significant accumulation of hepatic BCX. Compared to their respective HRCD littermates, both WT and DKO fed BCX have significantly lower HCC multiplicity, average tumor size, and total tumor volume, and the steatosis scores. The chemopreventive effects of BCX are associated with increased p53 protein acetylation and decreased protein levels of lactate dehydrogenase and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in tumors. Conclusion This study suggests that BCX feeding may alleviate HRCD-promoted HCC progression by modulating the acetylation of p53, hypoxic tumor microenvironment, and glucose metabolism, independent of BCO1/BCO2.

Health benefits of fruits and vegetables could be attributed to the presence of a large diversity of phytochemicals, including carotenoids. The bioactivities of carotenoids greatly depend on their bioavailability that could be modulated by the presence of other dietary constituents. Because citrus juices contain diverse antioxidant phytochemicals, the effects of flavonoids and ascorbic acid on intestinal carotenoid uptake were investigated. Experiments were conducted by using a Caco-2 cell monolayer exposed to micelles enriched in beta-cryptoxanthin b-CX and beta-carotene b-C, in the presence of hesperetin HES, hesperidin HES-G, naringenin, acid ascorbic AA and iron. After 5 or 24 h incubation, both HES-G and HES significantly increased b-CX and b-C uptake by around 1.6-fold. Interestingly, AA was shown to eliminate the enhancing effect of HES-G by decreasing significantly the cellular uptake of b-CX and b-C by 10% after 5 h incubation. Iron decreased the carotenoid uptake, but HES-G was shown to counteract the iron effect, certainly due to its iron-chelating activity.

Carotenoid pigments not only produce the vibrant yellows and oranges of flowers, fruits, and autumn leaves but also are important in both plant and human health. They act both as accessory pigments in photosynthetic light harvesting and as photoprotectants that absorb excess energy during

Beta-cryptoxanthin (&beta, cry) is a typical carotenoid found abundantly in fruit and vegetables such as the Japanese mandarin orange, persimmon, papaya, paprika, and carrot, and exerts various biological activities (e.g., antioxidant effects). We previously reported that &beta, cry suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced osteoclast differentiation via the inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) E2 production in gingival fibroblasts and restored the alveolar bone loss in a mouse model for periodontitis in vivo. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of &beta, cry on osteoclast differentiation. In mouse calvarial organ cultures, LPS-induced bone resorption was suppressed by &beta, cry. In osteoblasts, &beta, cry inhibited PGE2 production via the downregulation of the LPS-induced mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and membrane-bound PGE synthase (mPGES)-1, which are PGE synthesis-related enzymes, leading to the suppression of receptor activator of NF-&kappa, B ligand (RANKL) mRNA transcriptional activation. In an in vitro assay, &beta, cry directly suppressed the activity of the inhibitor of NF-&kappa, B kinase (IKK) &beta, and adding ATP canceled this IKK&beta, inhibition. Molecular docking simulation further suggested that &beta, cry binds to the ATP-binding pocket of IKK&beta, In Raw264.7 cells, &beta, cry suppressed RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. The molecular mechanism underlying the involvement of &beta, cry in LPS-induced bone resorption may involve the ATP-competing inhibition of IKK activity, resulting in the suppression of NF-&kappa, B signaling.

β-cryptoxanthin (β-Cry), a xanthophyll, is unlike other abundant carotenoids, such as α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. It is not found in most fruits or vegetables but is found only in specific fruits, such as hot chili pepper, persimmon, and citrus fruits. Because recent reports suggest that β-Cry intake is beneficial to human health, the xanthophyll requires further investigation. Although β-Cry accumulates in the fruit of wild raspberry, Rubus palmatus, it is not present in cultivated raspberry. In the present study, two wild raspberry species were studied—R. palmatus, which accumulates β-Cry in the fruit, and R. crataegifolius, which does not accumulate β-Cry. Four carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes derived from these two species were analyzed—phytoene synthase (PSY), lycopene β-cyclase (LCYb), β-carotene hydroxylase (HYb), and zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP). Expression levels of their genes were also assessed to elucidate mechanism underlying β-Cry accumulation. Partial gene sequences of RubPSY, RubLCYb, RubHYb, and RubZEP, isolated from immature raspberry fruits of R. palmatus, were used as probes for Northern blot analysis. RubZEP expression ceased as the fruits matured, possibly because of reduced production of zeaxanthin. β-Cry is considered to be an intermediate compound that accumulates in the mature fruits of R. palmatus. High expression of RubPSY was detectable in the mature fruits of R. crataegifolius, and the expression of RubLCYb, RubHYb, and RubZEP was detectable during all stages of fruit maturation. In contrast, β-Cry was absent in the mature fruits of R. crataegifolius.

Birds are an anomaly among vertebrates as they are remarkably long-lived despite having naturally high blood glucose and metabolic rates. For mammals, hyperglycemia leads to oxidative stress and protein glycation. In contrast, many studies have shown that domestic and wild birds are relatively resistant to these glucose-mediated pathologies. Surprisingly very little research has examined protein glycation in birds of prey, which by nature consume a diet high in protein and fat that promotes gluconeogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate protein glycation and antioxidant concentrations in serum samples from several birds of prey (bald eagle (BAEA), red-tailed hawk (RTHA), barred owl (BAOW), great horned owl (GHOW)) as protein glycation can accelerate oxidative stress and vice versa. Serum glucose was measured using a commercially available assay, native albumin glycation was measured by mass spectrometry and various antioxidants (uric acid, vitamin E, retinol and several carotenoids) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Although glucose concentrations were not significantly different between species (p=0.340), albumin glycation was significantly higher (p=0.004) in BAEA (23.67±1.90%) and BAOW (24.28±1.43%) compared to RTHA (14.31±0.63%). Of the antioxidants examined, lutein was significantly higher in BAOW (p=0.008). BAEA had the highest beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene concentrations (p

[Background] Carotenoids are the main colouring substances found in orange-fleshed loquat fruits. The aim of this study was to unravel the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of loquat fruit (cv. ‘Obusa’) in peel and flesh tissue during distinct on-tree developmental stages through a targeted analytical and molecular approach., [Results] Substantial changes regarding colour parameters, both between peel and flesh and among the different developmental stages, were monitored, concomitant with a significant increment in carotenoid content. Key genes and individual compounds that are implicated in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway were further dissected with the employment of molecular (RT-qPCR) and advanced analytical techniques (LC-MS). Results revealed significant differences in carotenoid composition between peel and flesh. Thirty-two carotenoids were found in the peel, while only eighteen carotenoids were identified in the flesh. Trans-lutein and trans-β-carotene were the major carotenoids in the peel; the content of the former decreased with the progress of ripening, while the latter registered a 7.2-fold increase. However, carotenoid profiling of loquat flesh indicated trans-β-cryptoxanthin, followed by trans-β-carotene and 5,8-epoxy-β-carotene to be the most predominant carotenoids. High amounts of trans-β-carotene in both tissues were supported by significant induction in a chromoplast-specific lycopene β-cyclase (CYCB) transcript levels. PSY1, ZDS, CYCB and BCH were up-regulated and CRTISO, LCYE, ECH and VDE were down-regulated in most of the developmental stages compared with the immature stage in both peel and flesh tissue. Overall, differential regulation of expression levels with the progress of on-tree fruit development was more evident in the middle and downstream genes of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway., [Conclusions] Carotenoid composition is greatly affected during on-tree loquat development with striking differences between peel and flesh tissue. A link between gene up- or down-regulation during the developmental stages of the loquat fruit, and how their expression affects carotenoid content per tissue (peel or flesh) was established., The authors would like to acknowledge support by Remedica through the “Cyprus University of Technology Open Access Author Fund” for covering the cost of publication fees.

Blood micronutrient status may change with age. We analyzed plasma carotenoids, α-/γ-tocopherol, and retinol and their associations with age, demographic characteristics, and dietary habits (assessed by a short food frequency questionnaire) in a cross-sectional study of 2118 women and men (age-stratified from 35 to 74 years) of the general population from six European countries. Higher age was associated with lower lycopene and α-/β-carotene and higher β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, α-/γ-tocopherol, and retinol levels. Significant correlations with age were observed for lycopene (r = -0.248), α-tocopherol (r = 0.208), α-carotene (r = -0.112), and β-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.125; all p < 0.001). Age was inversely associated with lycopene (-6.5% per five-year age increase) and this association remained in the multiple regression model with the significant predictors (covariables) being country, season, cholesterol, gender, smoking status, body mass index (BMI (kg/m²)), and dietary habits. The positive association of α-tocopherol with age remained when all covariates including cholesterol and use of vitamin supplements were included (1.7% vs. 2.4% per five-year age increase). The association of higher β-cryptoxanthin with higher age was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for fruit consumption, whereas the inverse association of α-carotene with age remained in the fully adjusted multivariable model (-4.8% vs. -3.8% per five-year age increase). We conclude from our study that age is an independent predictor of plasma lycopene, α-tocopherol, and α-carotene. published

High fruit and vegetable (FAV) intake is associated with a lower prevalence of chronic diseases. Identifying the ideal number of FAV servings needed to reduce chronic disease risk is, however, difficult because of biases inherent to common self-report dietary assessment tools. The aim of our study was to examine the associations between daily FAV intake and plasma carotenoid concentrations in men and women enrolled in a series of fully controlled dietary interventions. We compiled and analysed data from a group of 155 men and 109 women who participated in six fully controlled dietary interventions and compared post-intervention fasting plasma carotenoid (α-carotene,β-carotene,β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin) concentrations with regard to the daily FAV servings consumed by the participants. We found that plasmaβ-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations were positively associated with daily FAV servings (P≤0·005). However, daily FAV intake was negatively associated with plasmaα-carotene (PPβ-carotene. When men and women were analysed separately, we found that for any given number of FAV servings consumed women had higher circulating lutein concentrations compared with men (PPβ-cryptoxanthin (Pβ-cryptoxanthin concentrations in women than in men for a given FAV consumption. Results from these fully controlled dietary feeding studies indicate that plasmaβ-cryptoxanthin and lutein concentrations can be used as robust biomarkers of FAV consumption. They also suggest the existence of sex differences influencing circulatingβ-cryptoxanthin and lutein concentrations following FAV consumption.

Despite the widespread use of the five major xanthophylls astaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, canthaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin as dietary supplements, there have been no studies regarding their inhibitory effects on hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). Here, we evaluated the inhibitory potential of these xanthophylls on the seven major human hepatic UGTs (UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, UGT1A6, UGT1A9, UGT2B7 and UGT2B15) in vitro by LC-MS/MS using specific marker reactions in human liver microsomes (except UGT2B15) or recombinant supersomes (UGT2B15). We also predicted potential dietary supplement-drug interactions for β-cryptoxanthin via UGT1A1 inhibition. We demonstrated that astaxanthin and zeaxanthin showed no apparent inhibition, while the remaining xanthophylls showed only weak inhibitory effects on the seven UGTs. β-Cryptoxanthin mildly inhibited UGT1A1, UGT1A3, and UGT1A4, with IC50 values of 18.8 ± 2.07, 28.3 ± 4.40 and 34.9 ± 5.98 μM, respectively. Canthaxanthin weakly inhibited UGT1A1 and UGT1A3, with IC50 values of 38.5 ± 4.65 and 41.2 ± 3.14 μM, respectively; and lutein inhibited UGT1A1 and UGT1A4, with IC50 values of 45.5 ± 4.01 and 28.7 ± 3.79 μM, respectively. Among the tested xanthophyll-UGT pairs, β-cryptoxanthin showed the strongest competitive inhibition of UGT1A1 (Ki, 12.2 ± 0.985 μM). In addition, we predicted the risk of UGT1A1 inhibition in vivo using the reported maximum plasma concentration after oral administration of β-cryptoxanthin in humans. Our data suggests that these xanthophylls are unlikely to cause dietary supplement-drug interactions mediated by inhibition of the hepatic UGTs. These findings provide useful information for the safe clinical use of the tested xanthophylls.

The early loss of ovarian reserve and subsequent menopause has a major impact on fertility potential and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and mortality later in life. While many studies have reported that lifestyle factors such as diet can influence the age of onset of natural menopause, their results are often contradictory. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of diet on the onset of natural menopause using a self-reported food frequency questionnaire in a cohort of 1146 pre-menopausal women followed up for an average of 12.5 years. The primary finding was that the age of natural menopause was positively correlated with dietary intake of the micronutrient -cryptoxanthin (r(2)=0.105, p

β-cryptoxanthin is a common carotenoid pigment found in fruit, especially in Satsuma mandarins and in persimmons. After ingestion, β-cryptoxanthin is distributed to and accumulates in organs, such as the liver, lung, and kidney. Recent studies have reported that because of its antioxidant defense, β-cryptoxanthin performs several important functions in the preservation of human health and in the prevention of several diseases, including cancer and osteoporosis. The present study aims to determine whether β-cryptoxanthin has a protective effect on renal glomeruli during acute nephritis. To develop our acute nephritis mouse model, we induced kidney inflammation in mice using lipopolysaccharide. To analyze pathological changes in the renal glomeruli of these mice, tissue sections of the kidney were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining. In mice with acute nephritis, we observed a thickening of the basal membrane in the renal glomeruli. By ultrastructural analysis, abnormalities in the foot cells were also identified. In the β-cryptoxanthin-ingested mice, these pathological changes were decreased. Migration of urinal proteins occurred in mice with acute nephritis, but this was decreased in β-cryptoxanthin-ingested mice, such that it correlated with the blood concentration of β-cryptoxanthin. Furthermore, in β-cryptoxanthin-ingested mice, both the accumulation and activation of inflammatory cells were decreased in the renal glomeruli. These results suggest that β-cryptoxanthin ingestion may produce great improvement in acute nephritis. These findings provide new insights into β-cryptoxanthin and its protective effect, and provide a new target for pharmacological therapy in human disease.

In the present investigation, growth kinetics of Kocuria marina DAGII during batch production of β-Cryptoxanthin (β-CRX) was studied by considering the effect of glucose and maltose as a single and binary substrate. The importance of mixed substrate over single substrate has been emphasised in the present study. Different mathematical models namely, the Logistic model for cell growth, the Logistic mass balance equation for substrate consumption and the Luedeking–Piret model for β-CRX production were successfully implemented. Model-based analyses for the single substrate experiments suggested that the concentrations of glucose and maltose higher than 7.5 and 10.0 g/L, respectively, inhibited the growth and β-CRX production by K. marina DAGII. The Han and Levenspiel model and the Luong product inhibition model accurately described the cell growth in glucose and maltose substrate systems with a R 2 value of 0.9989 and 0.9998, respectively. The effect of glucose and maltose as binary substrate was further investigated. The binary substrate kinetics was well described using the sum-kinetics with interaction parameters model. The results of production kinetics revealed that the presence of binary substrate in the cultivation medium increased the biomass and β-CRX yield significantly. This study is a first time detailed investigation on kinetic behaviours of K. marina DAGII during β-CRX production. The parameters obtained in the study might be helpful for developing strategies for commercial production of β-CRX by K. marina DAGII.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. It is characterized by a wide spectrum of hepatic changes, which may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. NAFLD is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome; however, mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of NAFLD are still unclear. Resident and recruited macrophages are key players in the homeostatic function of the liver and in the progression of NAFLD to NASH. Progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the polarized activation of macrophages. New NAFLD therapies will likely involve modification of macrophage polarization by restraining M1 activation or driving M2 activation. Carotenoids are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory micronutrients that have been used to prevent and treat NAFLD. In addition to their antioxidative action, carotenoids can regulate macrophage polarization and thereby halt the progression of NASH. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of macrophage polarization and the function of liver macrophages/Kupffer cells in NAFLD. From our review, we propose that dietary carotenoids, such as β-cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin, be used to prevent or treat NAFLD through the regulation of macrophage polarization and liver homeostasis.

Many recent studies have shown that antioxidant vitamins and/or carotenoids may reduce liver disease, but this association has not been well established with thorough longitudinal cohort studies. The objective of this study was to longitudinally investigate whether serum carotenoids at baseline are associated with the risk of developing elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) among Japanese subjects. We conducted a follow-up study of 1073 males and females aged between 30 and 79 years at baseline from the Mikkabi prospective cohort study. Those who participated in the baseline study and completed follow-up surveys were examined longitudinally. Exclusions included excessive alcohol consumption (≥60 g alcohol/d), hepatitis B and C and having a history of medication use for liver disease. A cohort of 213 males and 574 females free of elevated serum ALT (>30 IU/ml) at baseline was studied. Over a mean follow-up period of 7·4 (sd 3·1) years, thirty-one males and forty-nine females developed new elevated serum ALT. After adjustments for confounders, the hazard ratios for elevated serum ALT in the highest tertiles of basal serum β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin and total provitamin A carotenoids against the lowest tertiles were 0·43 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·81), 0·51 (CI 0·27, 0·94) and 0·52 (CI 0·28, 0·97), respectively. For α-carotene and lycopene, borderline reduced risks were also observed; however, these were not significant. Our results further support the hypothesis that antioxidant carotenoids, especially provitamin A carotenoids, might help prevent earlier pathogenesis of non-alcoholic liver disease in Japanese subjects.

Associations between carotenoid intake and prostate cancer (CaP) incidence have varied across studies. This may result from combining indolent with aggressive disease in most studies. This study examined whether carotenoid intake and adipose tissue carotenoid levels were inversely associated with CaP aggressiveness.Data on African-American (AA, n = 1,023) and European-American (EA, n = 1,079) men with incident CaP from North Carolina and Louisiana were analyzed. Dietary carotenoid intake was assessed using a detailed-food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and abdominal adipose tissue samples were analyzed for carotenoid concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariable logistic regression was used in race-stratified analyses to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) comparing high aggressive CaP with low/intermediate aggressive CaP.Carotenoid intake differed significantly between AAs and EAs, which included higher intake of lycopene among EAs and higher β-cryptoxanthin intake among AAs. Comparing the highest and lowest tertiles, dietary lycopene was associated inversely with high aggressive CaP among EAs (OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.34-0.89, Ptrend = 0.02), while an inverse association was observed between dietary β-cryptoxanthin intake and high aggressive CaP among AAs (OR = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.36-0.87, Ptrend = 0.01). Adipose tissue α-carotene and lycopene (cis + trans) concentrations were higher among EAs than AAs, and marginally significant inverse linear trends were observed for adipose α-carotene (Ptrend = 0.07) and lycopene (Ptrend = 0.11), and CaP aggressiveness among EAs only.These results suggest that diets high in lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin may protect against aggressive CaP among EAs and AAs, respectively. Differences in dietary behaviors may explain the observed racial differences in associations. Prostate 76:1053-1066, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background: Various antioxidnats from daily foods are expected to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. For example, natural carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin seems to be a promising antioxidant, and based upon epidemiological data it was shown to be a possible cancer preventing agent. For this reason, we chose to study beta-cryptoxanthin more extensively.Methods and Results: From the result of clinical trial using beta-cryptoxanthin-enriched Mandarin orange juice, it was proven to potentiate the preventive activity of multi-carotenoid mixture against liver cancer in the patients with chronic viral hepatitis-induced liver cirrhosis. Furthermore, beta-cryptoxanthin also has preventive activity against alcohol-induced gamma-GTP elevation, and obesity.Conclusion: An antioxidant beta -cryptoxanthin seems to be valuable for health promotion.Key words: beta-Cryptoxanthin, Health promotion, Liver cancer prevention, Prevention of alcohol-induced gamma-GTP elevation, Prevention of obesity.

Bioavailability of carotenoids is low and significant amounts reach the colon where they may be biologically active. We aimed to optimize a previously developed beverage designed to improve cardiovascular and bone remodelling markers in post-menopausal women. By assessing different lipid emulsions (soy lecithin, milkfat globule membrane (MFGM) and olive oil) on the in vitro bioaccessibility of β-Cryptoxanthin and phytosterols, a MFGM containing beverage was selected and resulted stable over time (recovery >95%) under in vitro digestion and simulated anaerobic conditions. This beverage was tested in a randomized human trial (n=38) by evaluating systemic response and the colonic availability of β-Cryptoxanthin. Consumption for six weeks provoked an increment in serum β-Cryptoxanthin of 38.9μg/dl (CI 95%; 31.0, 46.8; p

We conducted a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the association between antioxidants intake and pancreatic cancer risk. Relevant articles were retrieved from PUBMED and EMBASE databases and standard meta-analysis methods were applied. Finally a total of 18 studies were included. Comparing the highest with lowest categories, higher dietary intakes of selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were significantly associated with reduced pancreatic cancer risk (for selenium, pooled OR = 0.47, 95%CI 0.26-0.85; for vitamin C, pooled OR = 0.68, 95%CI 0.57-0.80; for vitamin E, pooled OR = 0.70, 95%CI 0.62-0.81; for β-carotene, pooled OR = 0.74, 95%CI 0.56-0.98; for β-cryptoxanthin, pooled OR = 0.70, 95%CI 0.56-0.88). Lycopene intake was marginally associated with pancreatic cancer risk (pooled OR = 0.85, 95%CI 0.73-1.00), while no significant association was observed for α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. In summary, higher dietary intake of selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin was inversely associated with pancreatic cancer risk.

Several studies suggest that β-cryptoxanthin has a greater plasma response from its common food sources than other carotenoids such as β-carotene and lycopene. The hypothesis of this study is that changes in plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentrations will be greater than changes in plasma β-carotene or lycopene concentrations even if these carotenoids are fed in a similar food matrix, such as citrus fruit. We tested this hypothesis by measuring changes in plasma concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and β-carotene after feeding measured amounts of canned tangerines and pink grapefruit to healthy nonsmoking adult humans. Volunteers served as their own controls and received both citrus fruit treatments randomly. In the first study, 8 subjects ate single meals of 234-304g of tangerines or 60-540g of pink grapefruit. The second study compared changes in plasma carotenoid concentration caused by feeding 234g of tangerines or 540g of pink grapefruit to 11 subjects. Blood was collected 5 times within 24hours after each citrus meal. Carotenoid concentrations were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentrations increased within 5hours and then stabilized, remaining high throughout the 24hours measured. Plasma concentrations of lycopene and β-carotene did not change. These results show that β-cryptoxanthin concentrations increased after a citrus fruit meal, but lycopene and β-carotene concentrations did not change after a similar citrus fruit meal. These results support our hypothesis that changes in plasma β-cryptoxanthin are greater than changes in plasma lycopene or β-carotene, even when these carotenoids are fed in a similar food matrix.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer mortality is inversely associated with high serum carotenoid levels and high intake of vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids. The Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study was conducted to investigate whether serum levels of carotenoids, retinol, tocopherols, and folic acid were associated with risk for lung cancer death with follow-up through 1997. To examine the association by sex, we extended the follow-up and analyzed additional serum samples.METHODS: In the JACC Study, 39,242 subjects provided serum samples at baseline between 1988 and 1990. We identified 211 cases (163 men and 48 women) of death from lung cancer during about 10-year follow-up ending in 1999. Of the subjects who survived to the end of that follow-up, 487 controls (375 men and 112 women) were selected, and were matched to each case of lung cancer death for sex, age and participating institution. We measured serum levels of antioxidants in cases of lung cancer death and controls. Odds ratio (OR) for lung cancer death was estimated using conditional logistic models by sex.RESULTS: For men, the risk of lung cancer death was significantly lower for the highest quartile of serum α- and β-carotenes, lycopene, and β-cryptoxanthin than for the lowest quartile: the OR adjusted for smoking and other covariates were 0.41, 0.28, 0.46, and 0.39, respectively. For women, serum levels of α-carotene and zeaxanthin/lutein were inversely associated with risk of lung cancer, but the association was not significant. No association between lung cancer and serum levels of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and retinol was appeared among women. There was a suggestion that association between lung cancer and high serum levels of these components might differ between men and women.CONCLUSIONS: Higher serum levels of carotenoids appear to play a role in preventing death from lung cancer among Japanese men. Relationships between lung cancer and serum levels of some carotenoids appear to differ between sexes. However, further study with a large number of women cases needs to clarify the discrepancy between sexes.J Epidemiol 2005; 15: S140-S149.

Antioxidant compounds have been reported to play a beneficial role in the etiology of several chronic diseases. To examine the effects of tobacco smoking and demographic factors on the plasma levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and jointly, lutein-zeaxanthin, we have conducted a cross-sectional study in the context of the Greek segment of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC). A random sample of 45 men and 68 women, aged 30–82 years, from the Greek EPIC cohort of 27953 volunteers, provided fasting blood samples and completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire on lifestyle factors. Data were analyzed using linear regression models with the studied vitamin plasma levels as dependent variables, and tobacco smoking and demographic factors as independent variables. Older persons had significantly lower alpha-carotene levels and significantly higher lutein-zeaxanthin levels, whereas females in comparison to males had significantly higher levels of alpha-carotene and perhaps beta-carotene. Tobacco smoking tended to reduce levels of all carotenoids studied and the reduction was statistically significant with respect to beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene, whereas it was of borderline significance with respect to beta-carotene.

Oxidative stress is partly responsible for the poor quality of IVM oocytes. The present study investigated the effects of the antioxidant β-cryptoxanthin on the IVM of porcine oocytes and the in vitro development of the ensuing embryos. Oocytes were matured in IVM medium containing different concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin (0, 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 μM). Treatment with 1 µM β-cryptoxanthin (Group 1B) improved polar body extrusion and the expression of maturation-related genes in cumulus cells and oocytes compared with control. In addition, levels of reactive oxygen species decreased significantly in Group 1B, whereas there were significant increases in glutathione levels and expression of the antioxidant genes superoxide dismutase 1 and peroxiredoxin 5 in this group. After parthenogenetic activation, although the cleavage rate did not differ between the control and 1B groups, the blastocyst formation rate was higher in the latter. Moreover, the total number of cells per blastocyst and relative mRNA levels of pluripotency marker and antioxidant genes were significantly higher in the 1B compared with control group. These results demonstrate that β-cryptoxanthin decreases oxidative stress in porcine oocytes and improves their quality and developmental potential.

The intravenous administration of beta-cryptoxanthin (320 microg/mouse) into 4-wk-old ddY mice caused a new peak in addition to the peak of beta-cryptoxanthin during high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the lipid fraction of lung homogenate. Different HPLC conditions revealed that the new peak might be attributed to a beta-carotene-like compound. The average retention times for the new peak and authentic all-trans-beta-carotene were 14.97 and 15.00 min, respectively, in a HPLC system using a YMC-Pack ODS-A column and methanol-based mobile phase, and 27.05 and 26.93 min, respectively, in a HPLC system using a Waters Nova Pack C18 column and methanol-based mobile phase. In a HPLC system using a Waters Nova Pack C18 column and acetonitrile-based mobile phase, the retention times were 10.73, 10.48 and 10.70 min for the new peak, authentic all-trans-beta-carotene, and 9-cis-beta-carotene, respectively. Spectrophotometry with a photodiode array detector showed maximum absorption of 447 and 475 nm for the new peak, and 450 and 475 nm for authentic all-trans-beta-carotene. This new peak was not observed in the lung tissue of control mice. These findings indicate the possible conversion of beta-cryptoxanthin to a beta-carotene like-compound in ddY mice.

cope β-Cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin are antioxidant carotenoid pigments that inhibit lipid peroxidation as potently as vitamin E. We hypothesized that acute treatment with β-cryptoxanthin and astaxanthin causes similar reductions in the sizes of cardiac infarcts caused by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury by attenuating oxidative stress and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction. Methods and results C57BL/6 mice (n = 36) were randomized to receive vehicle, β-cryptoxanthin, astaxanthin or vitamin E at 50 mg/kg by gavage feeding prior to I/R injury. Cardiac I/R was induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. All treatments significantly reduced infarct sizes by 36–57%, attenuated apoptosis and also attenuated cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction in the treated groups compared to the control group. Although astaxanthin and vitamin E exhibited similar efficacy with respect to cardioprotection, β-cryptoxanthin exhibited greater efficacy than its counterparts, as it reduced infarct sizes by 60%. β-Cryptoxanthin was more effective than astaxanthin and vitamin E because it reduced cardiac mitochondrial swelling, mitochondrial depolarization, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and plasma and cardiac TBARS levels more significantly than its counterparts. Conclusion Acute β-cryptoxanthin treatment exhibits greater cardioprotective efficacy against I/R injury than astaxanthin and vitamin E by reducing infarct sizes and attenuating apoptosis, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

21 Páginas; 2 Tablas; 2 Figuras, Scope Carotenoids in human milk are associated with other lipid counterparts in several metabolic processes. One interesting association that has not been demonstrated to date is the presence of xanthophyll esters. Colostrum and mature milk samples were analyzed to determine the occurrence of xanthophyll esters and identify the compounds. Thus, the association of the amounts of these compounds with lactation and whether they are significant contributors to the carotenoid profile of human milk was assessed. Methods and results Pre-term and term delivering mothers were included in the study to donate colostrum at 3–5 days postpartum and mature milk at 15 days postpartum. Carotenoids extracts were subjected to a clean-up procedure to remove the triacylglycerol fraction and then analyzed by HPLC-MSn. Identification of xanthophyll esters was achieved by considering their chromatographic behaviour, UV-visible characteristics and MSn features. Conclusion Xanthophyll esters are significant contributors to the carotenoid profile in the colostrum, while mature milk does not contain these compounds. Therefore, fatty acid acylation to xanthophylls is activated during the accumulation of carotenoids in the human mammary gland. The sharp decline in the amount of xanthophyll esters in mature milk indicates that the lipophilic components are those recently incorporated in the mammary epithelium., The financial support of the Spanish Government is gratefully acknowledged (CICYT, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project AGL2013-42757-R).

Background: β-cryptoxanthin (BX) and astaxanthin (AX) are the antioxidant carotenoid pigments which inhibit lipid peroxidation as potently as vitamin E (Vit-E). Although high levels of these carotenoids and vitamin E have been linked to low risk of cardiovascular disease, their roles in cardiac

温州ミカン果汁中のβ-クリプトキサンチンを高精度かっ迅速に定量することを目的として,C30カラムを接続したHPLCの測定条件及びその供試液の調製方法について検討し,次の結果を得た.(1) 抽出したカロテノイドをエーテルに分配したのち,等量の10%メタノール性KOH溶液を添加して,20℃,暗所,窒素雰囲気下でケン化処理を行った場合,その反応時間は1時間が適当であった.(2) β-クリプトキサンチンはC30カラムを通過することにより,回収率が低下することを認めた.しかし,移動相溶媒に0.1% AAを添加することにより,回収率は99%と極めて良好な結果が得られた.(3) カラム温度を27.5℃に設定することにより,β-クリプトキサンチンの幾何異性体ピークを良好に分離した.(4) 市販果汁と同様に調製した温州ミカン濃縮還元果汁に含まれるβ-クリプトキサンチン量は1.01mg/100gであったが,わずかにシス異性体も検出され,これらは13-及び13'-cis-β-クリプトキサンチンと推定した.

温州ミカン果汁から,β-クリプトキサンチンを0.67%含有するβ-クリプトキサンチン高含有粉末(CRP)を調製し,アゾキシメタン(AOM)で誘発したラットの大腸癌前駆病変(ACF)に対する抑制作用について検討した.ACFはAOMを実験開始1週間後より週1回計2回,雄F344ラットの体重1kg当たり20mg投与することにより誘発した.CRPは0.05%の濃度で食餌に混合し,実験開始時より4週間投与した.CRPの投与はACFの発生を04週の時点で20%(P

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-induced death in the USA. Although much attention has been focused on the anti-carcinogenic effect of consuming carotenoid-containing food or supplements, the results have been inconsistent. We investigated whether serum carotenoid levels were associated with the mortality risk of lung cancer in US adults using data from a nationally representative sample. The data were obtained from the Third Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES III) database and the NHANES III Linked Mortality File. A total of 10 382 participants aged over 20 years with available serum carotenoid levels and no other missing information on questionnaires and biomarkers at baseline (NHANES III) were included in the present study. Of the 10 382 participants, 161 subjects died due to lung cancer. We found that high serum levels of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin at baseline were significantly associated with a lower risk of lung cancer death. When we stratified the risk by current smoking status, the risk of death of current smokers was significantly decreased to 46% (95% confidence interval, 31–94%) for alpha-carotene and 61% (95% confidence interval, 19–80%) for beta-cryptoxanthin. By contrast, no association was observed among never/former smokers at baseline. High serum levels of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin are associated with a lower risk of lung cancer death in US adults.

Orange juice is considered a rich source of carotenoids, which are thought to have diverse biological functions. In recent years, a fermentation process has been carried out in fruits resulting in products that provide higher concentrations of bioactive compounds than their original substrates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a controlled alcoholic fermentation process (15 days) on the carotenoid composition of orange juice. Twenty-two carotenoids were identified in samples. The carotenoid profile was not modified as result of the fermentation. Total carotenoid content and provitamin A value significantly increased from day 0 (5.37 mg/L and 75.32 RAEs/L, respectively) until day 15 (6.65 mg/L and 90.57 RAEs/L, respectively), probably due to a better extractability of the carotenoids from the food matrix as a result of processing. Therefore, the novel beverage produced could provide a rich source of carotenoids and exert healthy effects similar to those of orange juice. © 2014 American Chemical Society., This study was supported by funding from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spanish government, Project AGL2010-14850/ALI) and the Consejerı́a de Economı́a, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo (Junta de Andalucı́a, Projects P08-AGR-03477 and P09-AGR4814, and Grupo PAI BIO311). The Research Project grant of B.E.-L. is supported by the Junta de Andalucı́a. D.H.-M. is member of the IBERCAROT Network 112RT0445 financed by CYTED.

Objectives A pooled analysis of 18 prospective cohort studies reported in 2012 for evaluating carotenoid intakes and breast cancer risk defined by estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) statuses by using the "highest versus lowest intake" method (HLM). By applying the interval collapsing method (ICM) to maximize the use of the estimated information, we reevaluated the results of the previous analysis in order to reinterpret the inferences made. Methods In order to estimate the summary effect size (sES) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), meta-analyses with the random-effects model were conducted for adjusted relative risks and their 95% CI from the second to the fifth interval according to five kinds of carotenoids and ER/PR status. Results The following new findings were identified: α-Carotene and β-cryptoxanthin have protective effects on overall breast cancer. All five kinds of carotenoids showed protective effects on ER- breast cancer. β-Carotene level increased the risk of ER+ or ER+/PR+ breast cancer. α-Carotene, β-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene showed a protective effect on ER-/PR+ or ER-/PR- breast cancer. Conclusions The new facts support the hypothesis that carotenoids that show anticancer effects with anti-oxygen function might reduce the risk of ER- breast cancer. Based on the new facts, the modification of the effects of α-carotene, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin should be evaluated according to PR and ER statuses.