Β-carotene Activity Research Articles

Kinetic Study of Encapsulated β-Carotene Degradation in Aqueous Environments: A Review.

The provitamin A activity of β-carotene is of primary interest to address one of the world’s major malnutrition concerns. β carotene is a fat-soluble compound and its bioavailability from natural sources is very poor. Hence, studies have been focused on the development of specific core/shell micro- or nano-structures that encapsulate β-carotene in order to allow its dispersion in liquid systems and improve its bioavailability. One key objective when developing these structures is also to accomplish β-carotene stability. The aim of this review is to collect kinetic data (rate constants, activation energy) on the degradation of encapsulated β-carotene in order to derive knowledge on the possibility for these systems to be scaled-up to the industrial production of functional foods. Results showed that most of the nano- and micro-structures designed for β-carotene encapsulation and dispersion in the water phase provide better protection with respect to a natural matrix, such as carrot juice, increasing the β-carotene half-life from about 30 d to more than 100 d at room temperature. One promising approach to increase β-carotene stability was found to be the use of wall material, surfactants, or co-encapsulated compounds with antioxidant activity. Moreover, a successful approach was the design of structures, where the core is partially or fully solidified; alternatively, either the core or the interface or the outer phase are gelled. The data collected could serve as a basis for the rational design of structures for β-carotene encapsulation, where new ingredients, especially the extraordinary natural array of hydrocolloids, are applied.

Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of β-Carotene Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) from Binary Mixtures of Palm Stearin and Palm Olein

Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of β-Carotene Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) from Binary Mixtures of Palm Stearin and Palm Olein

Antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects of Artemisia campestris aqueous extract in rat.

This study investigated some biological properties of Artemisia campestris aqueous extract (ACAE) as well its global chemical compositions. Twenty four rats were excised on the posterior neck skin area and divided into 4 groups, treated respectively with: sterile saline, glycerol, CICAFLORA and ACAE. The wound closure rate, histopathology evolution and the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in skin tissue were evaluated. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied by carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Animals were divided into 3 groups pre-treated respectively with sterile saline, acetylsalicylic acid (AA) and ACAE. The antibacterial activity was tested against six bacteria and the antioxidant activity was estimated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power and β-carotene activities. Our results demonstrated a significant improvement in wound healing progression and in oxidative stress damage in the wounds tissues of ACAE-treated rats, compared to control. ACAE-treated rats revealed also a significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced hind paws edema as confirmed by the histological analysis. In addition to the antioxidant activity, ACAE showed considerable antibacterial activities. ACAE exhibited important wound healing effect probably due to the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of its phytochemical contents. Therefore, this study confirms its popular use and highlights its promise in the development of new drugs.

Low and high responders to pharmacological doses of β-carotene: proportion in the population, mechanisms involved and consequences on β-carotene metabolism

The aim of this study was to assess the interindividual variability of chylomicron β-carotene response to a pharmacological load of β-carotene in the population, to identify the mechanisms responsible for this variability, and to evaluate its consequences on β-carotene status and metabolism. The variability, as estimated by the 3-h chylomicron β-carotene response to 120 mg β-carotene in 79 healthy male volunteers, was high (CV = 61“%), but it was unimodal and all the subjects had detectable chylomicron β-carotene. In 16 subjects randomly selected among the 79, the interindividual variability of the triglyceride-adjusted chylomicron (β-carotene + retinyl palmitate) response (0–12.5 h area under the curve) was high (CV = 54”%), suggesting that there is a high interindividual variability in the efficiency of intestinal absorption of β-carotene. The chylomicron β-carotene response was correlated (r = 0.50, P < 0.05) with the chylomicron triglyceride response. The β-carotene status, as assessed by β-carotene concentration in buccal mucosal cells, was correlated (r = 0.73, P < 0.05) with the triglyceride-adjusted chylomicron β-carotene response, i.e., with the ability to respond to β-carotene. The triglyceride-adjusted chylomicron retinyl-palmitate response was correlated (r = 0.55, P < 0.05) with the triglyceride-adjusted chylomicron β-carotene response. Plasma all-trans retinoic acid slightly, but significantly, increased (+40“%) 3 h after the β-carotene load, but this increase was not related to the triglyceride-adjusted β-carotene response. In conclusion, the ability to respond to β-carotene is highly variable, but there is probably a very small proportion of true non-responders to pharmacological doses of β-carotene in the healthy population. This variability is apparently mainly due to interindividual differences in the efficiency of intestinal absorption of β-carotene and in chylomicron metabolism. The ability to respond to β-carotene can affect the β-carotene status and the provitamin A activity of β-carotene, but it has apparently no effect on the amount of retinoic acid appearing in the plasma after the ingestion of a pharmacological dose of β-carotene. —Borel, P., P. Grolier, N. Mekki, Y. Boirie, Y. Rochette, B. Le Roy, M. C. Alexandre-Gouabau, D. Lairon, and V. Azais-Braesco. Low and high responders to pharmacological doses of β-carotene: proportion in the population, mechanisms involved, and consequences on β-carotene metabolism. J. Lipid Res. 1998. 39: 2250–2260.

Chylomicron β-Carotene and Retinyl Palmitate Responses Are Dramatically Diminished When Men Ingest β-Carotene with Medium-Chain Rather than Long-Chain Triglycerides

The effect of the ingestion of β-carotene with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) or long-chain triglycerides (LCT) on the bioavailability and the provitamin A activity of β-carotene was investigated in humans. Sixteen healthy young men ingested, on two different days, a test meal containing 120 mg β-carotene incorporated into 40 g LCT (LCT meal) or 40 g MCT (MCT meal). This meal was followed 6 h later by a β-carotene–free meal containing 40 g LCT. Chylomicron β-carotene, retinyl palmitate and triglycerides were measured every hour for 12.5 h after the first meal. No significant increase in chylomicron triglycerides was detected for the 6 h after the MCT meal intake, whereas a significant increase in chylomicron triglycerides was observed after the LCT meal intake. The chylomicron β-carotene and retinyl palmitate responses to the MCT meal (0–6 h area under the curves, AUC) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower [AUC = 68.1 ± 26.8 and 43.4 ± 10.4 nmol/(L⋅h), for β-carotene and retinyl palmitate, respectively] than those obtained after the LCT meal [301.4 ± 64.0 and 166.0 ± 29.0 nmol/(L⋅h), respectively]. The chylomicron β-carotene and retinyl palmitate responses obtained after the β-carotene–free meal (6–12.5 h AUC) were also significantly lower when the first meal provided MCT rather than LCT. The chylomicron (retinyl palmitate/β-carotene) ratios were constant during the postprandial periods, whatever the meal ingested. We conclude that the chylomicron β-carotene response is markedly diminished when β-carotene is absorbed with MCT instead of LCT. This phenomenon is apparently due to the lack of secretion of chylomicrons in response to MCT; however, a lower intestinal absorption of β-carotene or a higher transport of β-carotene via the portal way in the presence of MCT cannot be ruled out. Finally, the data obtained show that MCT do not affect the rate of intestinal conversion of β-carotene into vitamin A.

Comparative bioavailability of diet-, oil- and emulsion-based preparations of vitamin a and β-carotene in rat

The bioavailability of vitamin A and β-carotene delivered from the diet, from an oily solution or from a lipid emulsion was studied in female and male rats both in moderate and in severe vitamin A-deficient states. Weaning rats were fed a vitamin A-free diet for 3 or 5 weeks and were thereafter supplemented with vitamin A or β-carotene by oral gavage with oil- or emulsion-based solutions or by diet. Vitamin A repletion, as judged by growth rate and by vitamin A accumulation in tissues, was improved when aqueous- preparations of both micronutrients were selected, as compared with other treatments. The vitamin A equivalence of β-carotene ranged from 3.75 to 8.83 when emulsion- and oil- mediated supplementations were respectively achieved. Both vitamin A bioavailabity and vitamin A activity of β-carotene were shown to be related to the vitamin A status of the animal. No sex effect was observed on the measured parameters.

Antimutagenic activity of β-carotene

Data are presented on the ability of synthetic β-carotene to reduce the level of cyclophosphane-induced chromosome aberrations in murine bone marrow cells. InSalmonella typhimurium cells β-carotene exhibits antimutagenic activity only against an indirect mutagen (2-acetylaminofluorene).

6] Solubilization, cellular uptake, and activity of β-carotene and other carotenoids as inhibitors of neoplastic transformation in cultured cells

Publisher Summary Tetrahydrofuran (THF) that has been reported to be one of the best solvents for β -carotene ( β -C) is evaluated in this chapter. It is reported that this solvent is effective in delivering carotenoids of interest to cells without apparent toxicity and with biological activity as evidenced by the ability of structurally diverse carotenoids to inhibit methylcholanthrene-induced neoplastic transformation. Assays for neoplastic transformation are performed with C3H/10T1/2 cells, except for the use of THF as solvent for the carotenoids. Carotenoids are assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for initial purity and to measure stability and uptake by cells. The chapter compares the activity of β -C delivered in THF with β -C formulated in beadlets. It shows that THF has no effect on the transformation assay in the absence of carotenoid, and a 0.5% solution of THF do not reduce the proliferation rate of cells. This is of importance because the detection of morphological transformation of C3H/10T1/2 cells depends on the ability of transformants to proliferate within a confluent monolayer of postconfluent growth-arrested nontransformed cells.