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Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 42476

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fani Th Mantzouridou

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Guest Editor

School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: food chemistry; quality/process control; food biotechnology; fermented foods; bio-based food ingredients; valorization of agro-industrial wastes and residues; in vivo assessment of antioxidant activity; design of experiments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Stella A. Ordoudi

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Guest Editor

Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: food colorants; antioxidants; carotenoids; structure-activity studies; quality/process control; authenticity; green extraction; lipid oxidation; spices; essential oils; fruit waste; FTIR; NMR; UV-Vis spectroscopy; chemometrics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The food industry has always appreciated the use of carotenoids as color additives or preservatives in a wide range of foods and beverages. β-Carotene and lycopene, as well as saffron and annatto extracts, are among the most well-known representatives. Carotenoids have been demonstrated to exhibit diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, immunomodulatory, or provitamin A activity, through which they may prevent several diseases associated with oxidative stress and photosensitive or eye-related disorders. They may also impart physiological functions in vivo through degradation products, such as apocarotenoids. Nowadays, new formulations for the production of functional foods, beverages, and animal feed with health benefits are on demand. Their success lies in balancing carotenoid availability and biological activities with formulation restrictions. In the coming years, advances in scientific research will probably propel the growth of the carotenoid market.

In this Special Issue, we expect to gather interdisciplinary research about carotenoids/apocarotenoids, highlighting the potential for novel applications in foods. In particular, we encourage the submission of manuscripts on new sustainable sources and/or technologies of carotenoid production and stabilization, development of up-to-date analytical methods for identification and quantification in raw and processed foods, human uptake processes (bioacessibility /bioavailability), and mechanistic pathways of health-promoting effects. The design and application of effective delivery systems into the food matrix (novel emulsions/nanoemulsions, coated particles) are also welcome.

Dr. Mantzouridou Fani
Dr. Stella Ordoudi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Carotenoids and apocarotenoids
Natural pigments
Carotenoid-rich functional foods
Microbial carotenoids
Extraction and structural characterization of carotenoids
Encapsulation and formulation
Stability
Bioaccessibility /Bioavailability
Antioxidant
Biological functions

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Fortified Laying Hen Diet with Moringa oleifera Leaves and Goji Berries on Cholesterol and Carotenoid Egg Content

by Maria Maisto, Fortuna Iannuzzo, Elisabetta Schiano, Roberto Ciampaglia, Angiola Labanca, Domenico Montesano, Vincenzo Piccolo, Pasquale Rossi and Gian Carlo Tenore

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3156; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11203156 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1937

Abstract

The biofortification of basal laying hen feed with natural matrices can improve the beneficial potential of eggs produced without relying on artificial fortification. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of hen diet supplementation with dried Moringa leaves (DML) and goji berries (DGB) on egg functional properties in terms of cholesterol and carotenoid content. Forty Lohman Brown Classic laying hens were randomly divided into four groups. The control group (G1) received the basal poultry diet, group G2 received a diet with 5% DML + 10% DGB, group G3 received a diet with 3% DML + 7% DGB, and group G4 received a diet with 15% DML. HPLC-DAD analysis showed that feed supplementation positively influenced the egg carotenoid content, with a valuable increase in xanthophylls concentration, especially lutein (+333.24% in G4, +258.15% in G2, +189.24% in G3, compared to G1). The same trend was also followed by the β-carotene concentration (+181.38% in G3 and +116.01% in G4, compared to G1). Furthermore, the eggs obtained from G3 showed the lowest cholesterol content (−47.08%). Additionally, the performed antioxidant assays showed maximum activity in G2 (+39.11 compared to G1 for the DPPH test) and in G4 (+31.11 compared to G1 for the ABTS test). In conclusion, the G2 experimental diet could be potentially used in poultry industries to produce “functional eggs”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

18 pages, 2300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Xylanase Supplementation in Wheat-Based Diets of Laying Hens Affects the Egg Yolk Color, Carotenoid and Fatty Acid Profiles

by Georgios A. Papadopoulos, Styliani Lioliopoulou, Stella A. Ordoudi, Ilias Giannenas, Veerle Van Hoeck, Dany Morisset, Georgios Arsenos, Paschalis Fortomaris and Fani T. Mantzouridou

Foods 2022, 11(15), 2209; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11152209 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

Wheat is rich in non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and their degradation in poultry diets is promoted by exogenous carbohydrases. The objective here was to evaluate the effect of adding an intrinsically thermostable xylanase on wheat-based diets for laying hens in yolk color, carotenoid and fatty acid profiles of eggs. A total of 128 laying hens were used for 12 weeks. They were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments with different levels of xylanase: T1: control (no xylanase), T2: 30,000 U/g, T3: 45,000 U/g and T4: 90,000 U/g, with 32 birds, 16 replicates per treatment (2 birds/replicate). At the end of the experimental period, egg yolk color index, redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of egg yolks were found significantly higher in all the enzyme supplemented diet groups (T2, T3, T4) compared with the control (T1). Canthaxanthin levels were significantly higher in T3 than T1 (p < 0.05). Total n-3, n-6 and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs) were significantly higher in T4 compared with the control (p < 0.01), while the reverse trend was evidenced for monounsaturated FAs. Additionally, total n-3 FAs were higher in the T2 than T1 (p < 0.005). Overall, the results showed that exogenous xylanase enzyme supplementation in wheat-based diets for laying hens contribute to maintaining egg yolk color. Overall, exogenous xylanase enzyme supplemented at all levels in wheat-based laying hens’ diets improved egg yolk color compared to the control diet. The enzyme supplemented at the higher level (90,000 U/g) improved polyunsaturated and reduced monounsaturated egg yolk fatty acid content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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23 pages, 20104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Effect of Microwave Heating on Quality Characteristics and Functional Properties of Persimmon Juice and Its Residue

by Sofia Lalou, Stella A. Ordoudi and Fani Th. Mantzouridou

Foods 2021, 10(11), 2650; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10112650 - 01 Nov 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3282

Abstract

In this study, it was investigated whether integration of microwave-heating into the pretreatment step of persimmon juice processing allows the concomitant production of both functional juice and added-value solid residue from the Diospyros Kaki “Jiro” cultivar. In this direction, persimmon pulp was treated under three different microwave-heating conditions (0.7, 4.2, and 8.4 kJ/g) prior to enzymatic maceration and compared to the non-heated material. Irrespective of microwave energy employed, the proposed hybrid treatment was highly efficient in terms of juice yield (70% w/w). The mildest heating conditions resulted in juice and residue that were both of inferior quality. Intensification of the microwave energy reduced the microbial load of the juice up to 2-log without compromising the content in total soluble solids, sugars, and L-ascorbic acid. Under the most drastic conditions, the juice was enriched in gallic acid, polyphenols, and potent DPPH^● scavengers, but its orange color faded and was more acidic. In parallel, the solid juice residue retained pro-vitamin A carotenoids (~278 µg retinol activity equivalents) and low-methoxy pectin (9 g/100 g DW). Overall, our findings can assist the efforts of the local juice processing industry to utilize persimmon fruits through energy-efficient technologies in a sustainable approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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16 pages, 8628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mutation Associated with Orange Fruit Color Increases Concentrations of β-Carotene in a Sweet Pepper Variety (Capsicum annuum L.)

by Nasya Tomlekova, Velichka Spasova-Apostolova, Ivelin Pantchev and Fatma Sarsu

Foods 2021, 10(6), 1225; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10061225 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3353

Abstract

Pepper is the second most important vegetable crop in Bulgarian agriculture and has become the subject of extensive breeding programs that frequently employ induced mutagenesis. The success of breeding programs can be enhanced by the efficient and integral application of different biochemical and molecular methods to characterize specific mutant alleles. On the other hand, identifying new cost-effective methods is important under a limited-resources environment. In this paper we compare the levels of five health-related carotenoid compounds of fruits (α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin) between a mutant variety Oranzheva kapia (possessing high ß-carotene concentration) and a corresponding initial pepper variety Pazardzhishka kapia 794. Both varieties are intended for fresh consumption. Pepper is a major natural source of β-carotene. It was observed that fruit at both commercial and botanical maturity from mutant variety had greater α-carotene and β-carotene concentrations to the initial variety (7.49 and 1.94 times higher, respectively) meaning that the mutant was superior in fruit quality to the initial genotype. Two hydroxylase enzymes, converting α- and β-carotene to lutein and zeaxanthin, respectively, are known to exist in pepper and are encoded by two genes on chromosomes 3 and 6-CrtZ_chr03 and CrtZ_chr06. The molecular characterization of the mutant variety through locus-specific Polymerase chain reaction amplification, gene cloning and sequencing as well as expression was performed. Our results suggest that the increased ß-carotene accumulation in the mutant variety Oranzheva kapia results from a biosynthetic pathway breakdown due to deletion of CrtZ_chr03 gene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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31 pages, 1207 KiB

Open AccessArticle

European Database of Carotenoid Levels in Foods. Factors Affecting Carotenoid Content

by M. Graça Dias, Grethe Iren A. Borge, Kristina Kljak, Anamarija I. Mandić, Paula Mapelli-Brahm, Begoña Olmedilla-Alonso, Adela M. Pintea, Francisco Ravasco, Vesna Tumbas Šaponjac, Jolanta Sereikaitė, Liliana Vargas-Murga, Jelena J. Vulić and Antonio J. Meléndez-Martínez

Foods 2021, 10(5), 912; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10050912 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6501

Abstract

Many studies indicate that diets including carotenoid-rich foods have positive effects on human health. Some of these compounds are precursors of the essential nutrient vitamin A. The present work is aimed at implementing a database of carotenoid contents of foods available in the European market. Factors affecting carotenoid content were also discussed. Analytical data available in peer-reviewed scientific literature from 1990 to 2018 and obtained by HPLC/UHPLC were considered. The database includes foods classified according to the FoodEx2 system and will benefit compilers, nutritionists and other professionals in areas related to food and human health. The results show the importance of food characterization to ensure its intercomparability, as large variations in carotenoid levels are observed between species and among varieties/cultivars/landraces. This highlights the significance of integrating nutritional criteria into agricultural choices and of promoting biodiversity. The uncertainty quantification associated with the measurements of the carotenoid content was very rarely evaluated in the literature consulted. According to the EuroFIR data quality evaluation system for food composition tables, the total data quality index mean was 24 in 35, reflecting efforts by researchers in the analytical methods, and less resources in the sampling plan documentation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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15 pages, 1939 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Extraction of Carotenoids from Pumpkin Peel and Pulp: Comparison between Innovative Green Extraction Technologies (Ultrasonic and Microwave-Assisted Extractions Using Corn Oil)

by Minaxi Sharma and Rajeev Bhat

Foods 2021, 10(4), 787; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10040787 - 06 Apr 2021

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 6604

Abstract

Natural pigments improve aesthetic value as well as antioxidant potential of a food product. This study was designed to determine the effects of green extraction techniques on carotenoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activities of pulp and peel of two varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). Innovative green extractions (IGE; Ultrasound and Microwave-Assisted Extractions) synergised with corn oil (used as green solvent) were compared with conventional extraction (CE; hexane/isopropyl alcohol; 60:40, v/v). Results showed total carotenoids to be almost double on employing IGE (PM2-UAE-peel = 38.03 ± 4.21; PM4-UAE-peel = 33.78 ± 1.76 µg/g) when compared to conventional extraction (PM2-CE-peel = 19.21 ± 4.39; PM4-CE-peel = 16.21 ± 2.52 µg/g). Polyphenolic contents ranged between 510.69 ± 5.50 and 588.68 ± 7.26 mg GAE/100 g of extract in IGE, compared with conventional extracts (269.50 ± 2.17 to 318.46 ± 6.60 mg GAE/100 g) and percent inhibition of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) ranging between 88.32 ± 1.51 and 93.53 ± 0.30% in IGE when compared with conventional extraction (50.61 ± 1.44 to 57.79 ± 2.09%). Further, oxidative stability of carotenoids extracts from IGE (protection factor = 1.59 ± 0.01 to 1.81 ± 0.05) were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than conventional extracts. Based on results, this study supports the use of innovative green extraction techniques to obtain bioactive pigments like carotenoids. It is anticipated that results generated will find potential applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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14 pages, 781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Natural β-Carotene Production by Blakeslea trispora Cultivated in Spanish-Style Green Olive Processing Wastewaters

by Eugenia Papadaki and Fani Th Mantzouridou

Foods 2021, 10(2), 327; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10020327 - 04 Feb 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4467

Abstract

In the current research, the potential of Spanish-style green olive processing wastewaters (lye and washing waters) exploitation toward natural β-carotene production by Blakeslea trispora was tested for the first time. Mating culture generated by the joint cultivation of the heterothallic fungal strains ATCC 14271 and 14272 in the non-sterile lye and washing waters was able to grow, achieving the phytotoxic hydroxytyrosol degradation by 57.3% and 66.8%, respectively. However, the low sugar and nitrogen content of the streams did not favor carotenogenesis. Alternatively, in the nutrient-enriched effluents, a notable quantity of β-carotene was produced, accounted for 61.2 mg/L (lye) and 64.1 mg/L (washing waters) (82–88% of total carotenoid content). Above all, enriched streams had a noteworthy stimulating effect on the β-carotene synthesis, because both the maximum β-carotene yield per volume of enriched effluents and specific β-carotene production rate were higher when compared with the respective values obtained from trials with synthetic reference medium without added effluents. Hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol showed high stability during the non-sterile process for β-carotene production by B. trispora grown in the enriched effluents. This finding strengthens the potential toward the generation of multiple high-value products, which could lower the natural β-carotene production costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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13 pages, 2954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of β-Cryptoxanthin on Improvement in Osteoporosis Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

by Sun Jo Kim, Nguyen Hoang Anh, Nguyen Co Diem, Seongoh Park, Young Hyun Cho, Nguyen Phuoc Long, In Guk Hwang, Johan Lim and Sung Won Kwon

Foods 2021, 10(2), 296; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10020296 - 02 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3318

Abstract

Many studies have analyzed the effects of β-cryptoxanthin (BCX) on osteoporosis and bone health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at providing quantitative evidence for the effects of BCX on osteoporosis. Publications were selected and retrieved from three databases and carefully screened to evaluate their eligibility. Data from the final 15 eligible studies were extracted and uniformly summarized. Among the 15 studies, seven including 100,496 individuals provided information for the meta-analysis. A random effects model was applied to integrate the odds ratio (OR) to compare the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related complications between the groups with high and low intake of BCX. A high intake of BCX was significantly correlated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis (OR = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–0.90, p = 0.0002). The results remained significant when patients were stratified into male and female subgroups as well as Western and Asian cohorts. A high intake of BCX was also negatively associated with the incidence of hip fracture (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.54–0.94, p = 0.02). The results indicate that BCX intake potentially reduces the risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture. Further longitudinal studies are needed to validate the causality of current findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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10 pages, 968 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

New β-Carotene-Chitooligosaccharides Complexes for Food Fortification: Stability Study

by Alma Bockuviene and Jolanta Sereikaite

Foods 2020, 9(6), 765; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9060765 - 10 Jun 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2428

Abstract

The application of β-carotene in food industry is limited due to its chemical instability. The drawback may be overcome by designing new delivery systems. The stability of β-carotene complexed with chitooligosaccharides by kneading, freeze-drying and sonication methods was investigated under various conditions. The first-order kinetics parameters of the reaction of β-carotene degradation were calculated. The complexation improved the stability of β-carotene at high temperatures and ensured its long-term stability in the dark at 4 °C and 24 °C, and in the light at 24 °C. In water solutions, the best characteristics were exhibited by the complexes prepared by freeze-drying and sonication methods. In the powder form, the complexes retained their colour for the period of the investigation of four months. The calculated total colour differences of the complexes were qualified as appreciable, detectable by ordinary people, but not large. Therefore, β-carotene-chitooligosaccharides complexes could be used as a new delivery system suitable for food fortification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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Review

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23 pages, 895 KiB

Open AccessReview

Carotenoids in Milk and the Potential for Dairy Based Functional Foods

by Ruth Conboy Stephenson, R. Paul Ross and Catherine Stanton

Foods 2021, 10(6), 1263; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10061263 - 02 Jun 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6368

Abstract

Carotenoids are a family of over 1100 known natural pigments synthesized by plants, algae, fungi and bacteria. Dietary intake of carotenoids is necessary for mammals as they cannot be synthesized in the body. In cows, the nature of the diet consumed strongly influences the composition of milk produced and this includes carotenoid concentration and profile. Fresh forage is the richest source of carotenoids for cows. The main carotenoids identified in forages are lutein, β-carotene, zeaxanthin and epilutein. Manipulating cow feed via carotenoid supplementation increases the carotenoid content of bovine milk. In humans, carotenoids have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and provitamin A activity. Lutein is a major carotenoid in human milk and the brain tissue of adults and infants. Lutein and zeaxanthin are linked to improved eye health and cognitive function. Traditionally for humans, fruit and vegetables have been the main source of carotenoid intake. Functional foods present an opportunity to incorporate these naturally occurring compounds into milk products for added health benefits, widening the range of dietary sources of carotenoids. We offer an overview of the literature to date on carotenoid-fortified dairy products and infant formula. This review will describe and summarize the key mechanisms by which the carotenoid profile of bovine milk can be manipulated. We present findings on the origin and role of carotenoids in bovine and human milk, outline factors that impact the carotenoid content of milk, evaluate carotenoid-fortified milk products and discuss the associated challenges, such as bioaccessibility and stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients)

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