Distribution of Carotenoids in Fruits and Vegetables as a Criterion for the Selection of Appropriate Chemopreventive Agents

Abstract

Common fruits and vegetables contain approximately 40 to 50 carotenoids. Carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables can be classified into three groups: greens, yellow/red, and yellow/orange. The carotenoids present in greens comprise carotenoid epoxides, lutein, α-carotene, and β-carotene. The yellow/red group contains mostly hydrocarbon carotenoids such as lycopene, neurosporene, y-carotene, ζ-carotene, a-carotene, β-carotene, phytofluene, and phytoene. Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, in addition to the carotenoids in the other two categories, contain a complex mixture of carotenoids including carotenol fatty acid esters. The effect of various methods of food preparation on qualitative and quantitative distribution of carotenoids in common fruits and vegetables is described. An approach to selection of a mixture of carotenoids as chemopreventive agents based on absorption and relative abundance of these compounds in human serum is discussed.