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Carotenoids: Biological Properties and Function in Human Health

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 8388

Special Issue Editors

Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: fruits and vegetables; antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds: polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, sugar and organic acid, microencapsulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Fruit, Vegetable and Plant Nutraceutical Technology, The Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chelmonskiego 37, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Interests: bioactive compounds; mass spectrometry; atioxidants; plant nutraceuticals; microencapsulation; functional foods; health-promoting properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the impact of food on the human body. Epidemiological studies provide evidence that consumption of food rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases and oxidative stress. The group of substances favorably affecting health, found in plant material, includes carotenoids.

Carotenoids are present in plant pigments and in both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organisms (algae, fungi, bacteria, and at least one animal species). They have valuable biological properties, among which the most documented is the activity of the provitamin A. Due to the presence in the molecule of a number of double bonds, carotenoids readily react with electrophiles. Carotenoids are classified as both prevention and intervention antioxidants—they may inactivate free radicals by forming adducts with them or electron transfer. Scientific evidence has strongly shown that regular intake of dietary carotenoids reduces the risk of oxidative stress and civilization diseases. In the human body, they perform many important functions, since they prevent atherosclerosis, are involved in maintaining the immune function, maintain the health of the eyes and skin, and reduce the risk of macular degeneration, cataract, cancer, and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Therefore, this Special Issue is dedicated to original research articles and review articles which cover the latest findings on the biological properties of carotenoids, their function in human health, and methods for their determination.

Dr. Agnieszka Nawirska-Olszańska
Dr. Joanna Kolniak-Ostek
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. Molecules 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 2700 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
  • health-promoting properties
  • occurrence
  • bioactivity
  • chronic and metabolic diseases

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4028 KiB  
Article
Combined Effects of Carotenoids and Polyphenols in Balancing the Response of Skin Cells to UV Irradiation
by Glenda Calniquer, Marina Khanin, Hilla Ovadia, Karin Linnewiel-Hermoni, David Stepensky, Aviram Trachtenberg, Tanya Sedlov, Oleg Braverman, Joseph Levy and Yoav Sharoni
Molecules 2021, 26(7), 1931; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26071931 - 30 Mar 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4619
Abstract
Oral carotenoids and polyphenols have been suggested to induce photo-protective effects. The aim of the study was to test whether the combination of carotenoids and polyphenols produce greater protective effects from UV-induced damage to skin cells. Such damage is characterized by inflammation and [...] Read more.
Oral carotenoids and polyphenols have been suggested to induce photo-protective effects. The aim of the study was to test whether the combination of carotenoids and polyphenols produce greater protective effects from UV-induced damage to skin cells. Such damage is characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress; thus, the photo-protective effect can be partially explained by modulating the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and antioxidant response element/Nrf2 (ARE/Nrf2) transcription systems, known as important regulators of these two processes. Indeed, it was found in keratinocytes that carotenoids and polyphenols inhibit UVB-induced NFκB activity and release of cytokine IL-6. A combination of tomato extract with rosemary extract inhibited UVB-induced release of IL-6 more than each of the compounds alone. Moreover, this combination synergistically activated ARE/Nrf2 transcription systems. Inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα induce the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which leads to collagen breakdown; thus, it is important to note that carnosic acid reduced TNFα-induced MMP-1 secretion from human dermal fibroblasts. The in vitro results suggest beneficial effects of phytonutrient combinations on skin health. To assure that clinical experiments to prove such effects in humans are feasible, the human bioavailability of carotenoids from tomato extract was tested, and nearly a twofold increase in their plasma concentrations was detected. This study demonstrates that carotenoids and polyphenols cooperate in balancing UV-induced skin cell damage, and suggests that NFκB and ARE/Nrf2 are involved in these effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carotenoids: Biological Properties and Function in Human Health)
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Review

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13 pages, 706 KiB  
Review
Multifaceted Effects of Lycopene: A Boulevard to the Multitarget-Based Treatment for Cancer
by Stefania Marzocco, Rajeev K. Singla and Anna Capasso
Molecules 2021, 26(17), 5333; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26175333 - 02 Sep 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3184
Abstract
Lycopene is a pigment belonging to the group of carotenoids and it is among the most carefully studied antioxidants found especially in fruit and vegetables. As a carotenoid, lycopene exerts beneficial effects on human health by protecting lipids, proteins, and DNA from damage [...] Read more.
Lycopene is a pigment belonging to the group of carotenoids and it is among the most carefully studied antioxidants found especially in fruit and vegetables. As a carotenoid, lycopene exerts beneficial effects on human health by protecting lipids, proteins, and DNA from damage by oxidation. Lycopene is a powerful oxygen inactivator in the singlet state. This is suggestive of the fact that lycopene harbors comparatively stronger antioxidant properties over other carotenoids normally present in plasma. Lycopene is also reported to hinder cancer cell proliferation. The uncontrolled, rapid division of cells is a characteristic of the metabolism of cancer cells. Evidently, lycopene causes a delay in the progression of the cell cycle, which explains its antitumor activity. Furthermore, lycopene can block cell transformation by reducing the loss of contact inhibition of cancer cells. This paper collects recent studies of scientific evidence that show the multiple beneficial properties of lycopene, which acts with different molecular and cellular mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carotenoids: Biological Properties and Function in Human Health)
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