The Role of Nutraceuticals in Depression during Pregnancy and Postpartum Well-Being
Priyanka Bhatt, Maryam Sadat Miraghajani, Sarvadaman Pathak, Yashwant Pathak in Nutraceuticals for Prenatal, Maternal and Offspring’s Nutritional Health, 2019
Carotenoids are a group of organic pigments with biological activities found in plants and algae (97). The role of carotenoids on women’s behavior has not been as well assessed as that of other nutraceuticals. The results of several animal studies have suggested that trans-astaxanthin, a carotenoid that is a strong antioxidant, rich in algae, can decrease depressive symptoms (98,99). The mechanism of trans-astaxanthin’s action may be based on its effect on the serotonergic system (99) and inhibition of hippocampal inflammation (98). Trans-astaxanthin can help increase the serotonin/tryptophan ratio and decrease the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the brain (99). Astaxanthin may inhibit 5-alpha reductase (an enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone) (100).
Natural Carotenoids
Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria, Megh R. Goyal, Masood Sadiq Butt in Phytochemicals from Medicinal Plants, 2019
Carotenoids have the ability to provide skin photo-protection against UV light. 76 They also hold anti-inflammatory effects because of their scavenging action on ROS. Due to these properties, astaxanthin promotes anti-inflammatory properties that maintain vital proteins and lipids of human lymphocytes.4 Some researchers have revealed that astaxanthin provides protection from CCl4-induced hepatic impairment by hindering lipid peroxidation, modulating the inflammatory process and cellular antioxidant system.37Table 6.2 shows biological functions and medicinal properties of carotenoids, their role in retinitis, 31 hindrance of cataracts, 74 macular degeneration, 71 and gastric infection.44
Plant-Based Compounds as Alternative Adjuvant Therapy for Multidrug-Resistant Cancer
Parimelazhagan Thangaraj in Phytomedicine, 2020
They are lipid-soluble compounds that play an important role together with chlorophylls in photosynthesis and photoprotection (Kapinova et al. 2018). This molecule has a long conjugated double bond series in its center, which gives them their sharp, chemical reactivity and light-absorbing properties. Carotenoids inhibit the oxidative effects of reactive and singlet oxygen species that are produced from a plant’s exposure to light and air. They react with radical molecules and delocalize the unpaired electron, thus inhibiting the oxidative effects of the radicals. This antioxidant activity makes them an excellent free radical scavenger (Ramel et al. 2012). Carotenoids are widely found in nature and can be used to prevent lipid oxidation and other related oxidative stress. Fruits including carrots, watermelons, apricots, pink guavas, tomatoes, pumpkin, mango, and sweet potatoes are rich sources of carotenoids (Jaswir et al. 2011). Generally, carotenoids are classified into α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutin, and lycopene (Liu 2004). Many epidemiological studies have found beneficial effects of carotenoid-rich foods in the reduction of cancer progression. As a chemoprevention strategy against certain human cancers, carotenoids and other antioxidants could be used, although there appears to be a detrimental interaction between β-carotene, smoke, and alcohol (Tanaka et al. 2012).
Microencapsulation of β-carotene using barley residue proteins from beer waste as coating material
Published in Journal of Microencapsulation, 2023
Ana Cristina Freitas De Oliveira Meira, Larissa Carolina De Morais, Jayne De Abreu Figueiredo, Lizzy Ayra Alcântara Veríssimo, Diego Alvarenga Botrel, Jaime Vilela De Resende
Carotenoids are natural pigments synthesised by plants that have antioxidant activity and can reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, age-related macular degeneration and cataract formation (Salgado 2017). They also act by inhibiting low-density lipoprotein oxidation, relieving oxidative stress, enhancing the immune system response, and have anti-inflammatory properties (Šeregelj et al.2021b). β-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, comprises up to 80% of all carotenoids present in carrots (Barzee et al.2019). In food production, carotenoids can be used as natural pigments to impart and restore colour in some products and, being antioxidant agents, they are a promising alternative for the growing demand for healthy food ingredients that contain natural bioactive compounds (Burgos-Díaz et al.2020).
Short-Term Administration of Astaxanthin Attenuates Retinal Changes in Diet-Induced Diabetic Psammomys obesus
Published in Current Eye Research, 2018
Basma Baccouche, Maha Benlarbi, Alistair J. Barber, Rafika Ben Chaouacha-Chekir
In summary, HFD-induced diabetes generally reduced the expression of glial markers GFAP, CRALBP, and GS. AST did also appear to increase the expression of the oxidative marker HO-1 and prevented glial changes from occurring. The short-time administration of AST did not rescue the expression of the retinal ganglion cell marker, Brn3a, and synaptophysin, a marker of presynaptic vesicles. Diabetic P. obesus is often associated with physiological and biological abnormalities in conjunction with disorders of lipid, carbohydrate, and vascular origin. P. obesus could be a useful experimental model to explore the implication of other diabetes risk factors besides hyperglycemia in early retinal neurodegeneration mechanisms. Our qualitative study indicates that the carotenoid AST can confer a rapid antioxidant protective effect to the retina.
Association of Carotenoid Intake with Pulmonary Function
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2021
The participants’ average dietary intake data were collected by an interviewer using a 66-item, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), a modified version of the 61-item questionnaire developed by Walter Willett (9). The major modification was the inclusion of an interviewer trained to use a standardized procedure for administrating the dietary questionnaire (10). Participants were asked how often on average they had consumed a specified portion size of each food during the preceding year with nine response categories available. Daily nutrient intake was calculated by multiplying the nutrient content of the specified portion of each food item by the frequency of its daily consumption and summing over all items. For this study, daily intakes of the five carotenoids, α- and β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin, were calculated from the ARIC FFQ, then, the total carotenoids were calculated. Intake of carotenoid-rich foods was calculated by adding the number of servings consumed daily of fruits and vegetables that are rich in each carotenoid. Foods that are rich in provitamin A included carrots, dark yellow, winter squashes such as acorn or butternut squash, oranges, and sweet potatoes. Foods that are rich in other carotenoids included broccoli, spinach, peas or lima beans, and tomatoes.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Carrot
- Hydrocarbon
- Organic Compound
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- Narcissus
- Carotene
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