Anthocyanin and Lycopene Contents Do Not Affect ß-Carotene Bioefficacy from Multicolored Carrots (Daucus carota L.) in Male Mongolian Gerbils.

BACKGROUND: Anthocyanins and carotenoids are phytochemicals that may benefit health through provitamin A carotenoid (PAC), antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. These bioactives may mitigate chronic diseases. Consumption of multiple phytochemicals may impact bioactivity in synergistic or antagonistic manners. OBJECTIVES: Two studies in weanling male Mongolian gerbils assessed the relative bioefficacy of ß-carotene equivalents (BCEs) to vitamin A (VA) with simultaneous consumption of the non-PAC lycopene or anthocyanins from multicolored carrots. METHODS: After 3-wk VA depletion, 5-6 gerbils were killed as baseline groups. The remaining gerbils were divided into 4 carrot treatment groups; the positive control group received retinyl acetate and the negative control group was given vehicle soybean oil (n = 10/group; n = 60/study). In the lycopene study, gerbils consumed feed varying in lycopene sourced from red carrots. In the anthocyanin study, gerbils consumed feed varying in anthocyanin content sourced from purple-red carrots, and positive controls received lycopene. Treatment feeds had equalized BCEs: 5.59 ± 0.96 µg/g (lycopene study) and 7.02 ± 0.39 µg/g (anthocyanin study). Controls consumed feeds without pigments. Serum, liver, and lung samples were analyzed for retinol and carotenoid concentrations using HPLC. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's studentized range test. RESULTS: In the lycopene study, liver VA did not differ between groups (0.11 ± 0.07 µmol/g) indicating no effect of varying lycopene content. In the anthocyanin study, liver VA concentrations in the medium-to-high (0.22 ± 0.14 µmol/g) and medium-to-low anthocyanin (0.25 ± 0.07 µmol/g) groups were higher than the negative control (0.11 ± 0.07 µmol/g) (P < 0.05). All treatment groups maintained baseline VA concentrations (0.23 ± 0.06 µmol/g). Combining studies, serum retinol had 12% sensitivity to predict VA deficiency, defined as 0.7 µmol/L. CONCLUSIONS: These gerbil studies suggested that simultaneous consumption of carotenoids and anthocyanins does not impact relative BCE bioefficacy. Breeding carrots for enhanced pigments to improve dietary intake should continue.

Quantum chemistry rules retinoid biology.

This Perspective discusses how retinol catalyzes resonance energy transfer (RET) reactions pivotally important for mitochondrial energy homeostasis by protein kinase C δ (PKCδ). PKCδ signals to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, controlling oxidative phosphorylation. The PKCδ-retinol complex reversibly responds to the redox potential of cytochrome c, that changes with the electron transfer chain workload. In contrast, the natural retinoid anhydroretinol irreversibly activates PKCδ. Its elongated conjugated-double-bond system limits the energy quantum absorbed by RET. Consequently, while capable of triggering the exergonic activating pathway, anhydroretinol fails to activate the endergonic silencing path, trapping PKCδ in the ON position and causing harmful levels of reactive oxygen species. However, physiological retinol levels displace anhydroretinol, buffer cyotoxicity and potentially render anhydroretinol useful for rapid energy generation. Intriguingly, apocarotenoids, the primary products of the mitochondrial ß-carotene,9'-10'-oxygenase, have all the anhydroretinol-like features, including modulation of energy homeostasis. We predict significant conceptual advances to stem from further understanding of the retinoid-catalyzed RET.

Evaluation and quantification of associations between commonly suggested milk biomarkers and the proportion of grassland-based feeds in the diets of dairy cows.

This study is a first step approach towards the prediction of the proportion of grassland-based feeds (%GB) in dairy cow diets with the aid of three different groups of milk biomarkers. We aimed to evaluate and quantify the associations between biomarkers commonly suggested in the literature and %GB in individual cows as a hypothesis-generating stage for the prospective establishment of accurate %GB prediction models. Consumers and governments financially encourage sustainable, local milk production making grass-based feeding, in grassland-dominated regions, of major interest. Milk from grassland-fed cows differs from that of other feeding systems by inferential fatty acids (FA), ß-carotene content and yellow color; however, these biomarkers have not been evaluated together for their association with %GB. Using approved methods of parametric regression analysis, gas chromatography (GC), mid-infrared spectra (MIR) and color spectroscopy, we aimed to develop a first step towards an easy-to-implement, cost-effective milk-based control to estimate %GB in dairy cow diets. The underlying database was generated with 24 cows each fed one of 24 different diets gradually increasing in grass silage and decreasing in corn silage. Our results indicate that GC-measured α-linolenic acid, total n-3 FA and the n-6:n-3 ratio, MIR-estimated PUFA and milk red-green color index a* are robust milk biomarkers for constructing accurate prediction models to determine %GB. Based on simplified regression analysis, diets containing 75% GB should contain ≥ 0.669 and 0.852 g α-linolenic acid and total n-3 FA per 100 g total FA, respectively, and an n-6:n-3 FA ratio of < 2.02 measured with GC; estimated with MIR, polyunsaturated FA should be ≥ 3.13 g/100 g total FA. ß-carotene was not a good predictor for estimating %GB. Unexpectedly, the milk became greener with increasing %GB (negative a* values, ‒6.416 for 75% GB), suggesting the red-green color index, not yellow-blue, as a suitable biomarker.

Development of an HPLC-PDA Method for the Determination of Capsanthin, Zeaxanthin, Lutein, ß-Cryptoxanthin and ß-Carotene Simultaneously in Chili Peppers and Products.

For the better standardization and widespread application of the determination method of carotenoids in both chili peppers and their products, this work reports for the first time the simultaneous determination of five main carotenoids, including capsanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein, ß-cryptoxanthin and ß-carotene in chili peppers and their products, with optimized extraction and the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. All parameters in the methodological evaluation were found to be in good stability, recovery and accuracy compliance with the reference values; the R coefficients for the calibration curves were more than 0.998; and the LODs and LOQs varied from 0.020 to 0.063 and from 0.067 to 0.209 mg/L, respectively. The characterization of five carotenoids in chili peppers and their products passed all the required validation criteria. The method was applied in the determination of carotenoids in nine fresh chili peppers and seven chili pepper products.

Patterns of Dietary Blood Markers Are Related to Frailty Status in the FRAILOMIC Validation Phase.

The influence of nutritional factors on frailty syndrome is still poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to confirm cross-sectional associations of diet-related blood biomarker patterns with frailty and pre-frailty statuses in 1271 older adults from four European cohorts. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed based on plasma levels of α-carotene, ß-carotene, lycopene, lutein + zeaxanthin, ß-cryptoxanthin, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and retinol. Cross-sectional associations between biomarker patterns and frailty status, according to Fried's frailty criteria, were assessed by using general linear models and multinomial logistic regression models as appropriate with adjustments for the main potential confounders. Robust subjects had higher concentrations of total carotenoids, ß-carotene and ß-cryptoxanthin than frail and pre-frail subjects and had higher lutein + zeaxanthin concentrations than frail subjects. No associations between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and frailty status were observed. Two distinct biomarker patterns were identified in the PCA results. The principal component 1 (PC1) pattern was characterized by overall higher plasma levels of carotenoids, tocopherols and retinol, and the PC2 pattern was characterized by higher loadings for tocopherols, retinol and lycopene together and lower loadings for other carotenoids. Analyses revealed inverse associations between PC1 and prevalent frailty. Compared to participants in the lowest quartile of PC1, those in the highest quartile were less likely to be frail (odds ratio: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25-0.80, p = 0.006). In addition, those in the highest quartile of PC2 showed higher odds for prevalent frailty (2.48, 1.28-4.80, p = 0.007) than those in the lowest quartile. Our findings strengthen the results from the first phase of the FRAILOMIC project, indicating carotenoids are suitable components for future biomarker-based frailty indices.

Mechanism for the selective uptake of macular carotenoids mediated by the HDL cholesterol receptor SR-BI.

The macular carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are taken up from the bloodstream into the human retina through a selective process, for which the HDL cholesterol receptor scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) in the cells of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is thought to be a key mediator. However, the mechanism of SR-BI-mediated selective uptake of macular carotenoids is still not fully understood. Here, we investigate possible mechanisms using biological assays and cultured HEK293 cells, a cell line without endogenous SR-BI expression. Binding affinities between SR-BI and various carotenoids were measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, which shows that SR-BI cannot bind lutein or zeaxanthin specifically. Overexpression of SR-BI in HEK293 cells results in more lutein and zeaxanthin taken up than ß-carotene, and this effect can be eliminated by an SR-BI mutant (C384Y) whose cholesterol uptake tunnel is blocked. Next, we determined the effects of HDL and hepatic lipase (LIPC), SR-BI's partners in HDL cholesterol transport, on SR-BI-mediated carotenoid uptake. HDL addition dramatically reduced lutein, zeaxanthin, and ß-carotene in HEK293 cells expressing SR-BI, but the cellular lutein and zeaxanthin are higher than ß-carotene. LIPC addition increases the uptake of all three carotenoids in HDL-treated cells, and promotes the transport of lutein and zeaxanthin better than ß-carotene. Our results suggest that SR-BI and its HDL cholesterol partner HDL and LIPC may be involved in the selective uptake of macular carotenoids.

AgMYB5, an MYB transcription factor from celery, enhanced ß-carotene synthesis and promoted drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

BACKGROUND: Water shortage caused by global warming seriously affects the yield and quality of vegetable crops. ß-carotene, the lipid-soluble natural product with important pharmacological value, is abundant in celery. Transcription factor MYB family extensively disperses in plants and plays regulatory roles in carotenoid metabolism and water scarcity response. RESULTS: Here, the AgMYB5 gene encoding 196 amino acids was amplified from celery cv. 'Jinnanshiqin'. In celery, the expression of AgMYB5 exhibited transactivation activity, tissue specificity, and drought-condition responsiveness. Further analysis proved that ectopic expression of AgMYB5 increased ß-carotene content and promoted drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, AgMYB5 expression promoted ß-carotene biosynthesis by triggering the expression of AtCRTISO and AtLCYB, which in turn increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and led to the decreased contents of H2O2 and MDA, and the inhibition of O2- generation. Meanwhile, ß-carotene accumulation promoted endogenous ABA biosynthesis of transgenic Arabidopsis, which resulted in ABA-induced stomatal closing and delayed water loss. In addition, ectopic expression of AgMYB5 increased expression levels of AtERD1, AtP5CS1, AtRD22, and AtRD29. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that AgMYB5 up-regulated ß-carotene biosynthesis and drought tolerance of Arabidopsis.

Nutritional aspects of non-conventional edible plants from Brazil: Caruru (Amaranthus spinosus L) and trapoeraba (Commelina benghalensis).

Caruru (Amaranthus spinosus L) and trapoeraba (Commelina benghalensis) are NCEPs introduced into Brazil and are widely used by certain communities. Given the lack of information on carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals present in A. spinosus and C. benghalensis grown in Brazil, this study aimed to determine the proximate composition and the micronutrient profile of these two NCEPs obtained from family farming in the Middle Doce River (Médio Rio Doce) region in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The proximate composition was evaluated using AOAC methods, vitamin E by HPLC with fluorescence detection, vitamin C and carotenoids by HPLC-DAD, and minerals by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. In summary, the leaves of A. spinosus exhibited a high content of dietary fiber (10.20 g.100 g-1), potassium (708.8 mg·100 g-1), iron (4.0 mg·100 g-1) and ß-carotene (6.94 mg·100 g-1), while the leaves of C. benghalensis were sources of potassium (1399.31 mg·100 g-1), iron (5.7 mg·100 g-1), calcium (163 mg·100 g-1), zinc (1.3 mg·100 g-1), ascorbic acid (23.61 mg·100 g-1), and ß-carotene (31.33 mg·100 g-1). It was therefore concluded that C. benghalensis and A. spinosus, especially, presented excellent potential as important nutritional sources for human consumption, highlighting the gap existing between the available technical and scientific material, thus making them an important and necessary axis of research.

An ex vivo intestinal absorption model is more effective than an in vitro cell model to characterise absorption of dietary carotenoids following simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

To get the most accurate food digestion-related data, and how this affects nutrient absorption, it is critical to carefully simulate human digestion systems using model settings. In this study, the uptake and transepithelial transportation of dietary carotenoids was compared using two different models that have previously been used to assess nutrient availability. The permeability of differentiated Caco-2 cells and murine intestinal tissue were tested using all-trans-ß-carotene and lutein prepared in artificial mixed micelles and micellar fraction from orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) gastrointestinal digestion. Transepithelial transport and absorption efficiency were then determined using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LCMS-MS). Results showed that the mean uptake for all-trans-ß-carotene in the mouse mucosal tissue was 60.2 ± 3.2% compared to 36.7 ± 2.6% in the Caco-2 cells with the mixed micelles as the test sample. Similarly, the mean uptake was higher in OFSP with 49.4 ± 4.1% following mouse tissue uptake compared to 28.9 ± 4.3% using Caco-2 cells for the same concentration. In relation to the uptake efficiency, the mean percentage uptake for all-trans-ß-carotene from artificial mixed micelles was 1.8-fold greater in mouse tissue compared to Caco-2 cells (35.4 ± 1.8% against 19.9 ± 2.6%). Carotenoid uptake reached saturation at 5 µM when assessed with the mouse intestinal cells. These results demonstrate the practicality of employing physiologically relevant models simulating human intestinal absorption processes that compares well with published human in vivo data. When used in combination with the Infogest digestion model, the Ussing chamber model, using murine intestinal tissue, may thus be an efficient predictor of carotenoid bioavailability in simulating human postprandial absorption ex vivo.

ß-Cryptoxanthin Production in Escherichia coli by Optimization of the Cytochrome P450 CYP97H1 Activity.

Cytochromes P450, forming a superfamily of monooxygenases containing heme as a cofactor, show great versatility in substrate specificity. Metabolic engineering can take advantage of this feature to unlock novel metabolic pathways. However, the cytochromes P450 often show difficulty being expressed in a heterologous chassis. As a case study in the prokaryotic host Escherichia coli, the heterologous synthesis of ß-cryptoxanthin was addressed. This carotenoid intermediate is difficult to produce, as its synthesis requires a monoterminal hydroxylation of ß-carotene whereas most of the classic carotene hydroxylases are dihydroxylases. This study was focused on the optimization of the in vivo activity of CYP97H1, an original P450 ß-carotene monohydroxylase. Engineering the N-terminal part of CYP97H1, identifying the matching redox partners, defining the optimal cellular background and adjusting the culture and induction conditions improved the production by 400 times compared to that of the initial strain, representing 2.7 mg/L ß-cryptoxanthin and 20% of the total carotenoids produced.

ß-Carotene, a Potent Amyloid Aggregation Inhibitor, Promotes Disordered Aß Fibrillar Structure.

The aggregation of amyloid beta (Aß) into fibrillar aggregates is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. ß-carotene and related compounds have been shown to associate with amyloid aggregates and have direct impact on the formation of amyloid fibrils. However, the precise effect of ß-carotene on the structure of amyloid aggregates is not known, which poses a limitation towards developing it as a potential AD therapeutic. In this report, we use nanoscale AFM-IR spectroscopy to probe the structure of Aß oligomers and fibrils at the single aggregate level and demonstrate that the main effect of ß-carotene towards modulating Aß aggregation is not to inhibit fibril formation but to alter the secondary structure of the fibrils and promote fibrils that lack the characteristic ordered beta structure.

assessment of antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-urease and anti-tyrosinase capacities of leaves extracts.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the chemical profile of methanolic crude extract and its fractions (Ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, to evaluate their biological and pharmacological properties: antioxidant (1, 1-diphenyl-2-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic) (ABTS), galvinoxyle free radical scavenging, reducing power, phenanthroline and ß carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays), enzymes inhibitory ability against several enzymes [acetyl-cholinesterase (AChE), buthyrylcholinesterase (BChE), urease and tyrosinase]. METHODS: Secondary metabolites were extracted from Tamarix africana air-dried powdered leaves by maceration, the crude extract was fractionated using different solvents with different polarities (Ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous). The amount of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins (hydrolysable and condensed) were determined using colorimetric assays. A variety of biochemical tests were carried out to assess antioxidant and oxygen radical scavenging properties using DPPH, ABTS, galvinoxyle free radical scavenging, reducing power, phenanthroline and ß carotene-linoleic acid bleaching methods. Neuroprotective effect was examined against acetylcholinesterase and buthy-rylcholinesterase enzymes. The anti-urease and anti-tyrosinase activities were performed against urease and tyrosinase enzymes respectively. The extract's components were identified using LC-MS and compared to reference substances. RESULTS: The results indicated that Tamarix africana extracts presented a powerful antioxidant activity in all assays and exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against AChE and BChE as well as urease and tyrosinase enzymes. LC-MS analysis identified amount of eight phenolic compounds were revealed in this analysis; Apigenin, Diosmin, Quercetin, Quercetine-3-glycoside, Apigenin 7-O glycoside, Rutin, Neohesperidin and Wogonin in methanolic extract and its different fractions of Tamarix africana from leaves. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, it is reasonable to assume that Tamarix africana could be considered as a potential candidate for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries to create innovative health-promoting drugs.

Molecular Interaction of Pea Glutelin and Lipophilic Bioactive Compounds: Structure-Binding Relationship and Nano-/Microcomplexation.

This study investigated the impact of ionic strength and lipophilicity of bioactive compounds on their interaction with the alkaline soluble pea glutelin fraction (ASF) using the fluorescence quenching technique. A Stern-Volmer quenching constant, KD, of 8.9 ± 0.10, 5.3 ± 0.06, 4.0 ± 0.01, 1.1 ± 0.00, 0.9 ± 0.02, and 0.1 ± 0.00 (×104 M-1) was observed for curcumin-ASF (CuASF), astaxanthin-ASF (AsASF), cholecalciferol-ASF (ChASF), ß-carotene-ASF (ßCaASF), coenzyme Q10-ASF (Q10ASF), and ß-sitosterol-ASF (ßSiASF) complexes, respectively. An increase in ionic strength did not significantly change KD, the effective quenching constant K, and the bimolecular quenching rate constant KQ. However, it changed the mode of interaction of the ASF with cholecalciferol, ß-carotene, coenzyme Q10, and ß-sitosterol from static to static-dynamic quenching. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the morphology formed with protein (spherical nanocomplexes, microaggregates, or fiber-like particles) differed among the compounds. The favorable binding of CuASF, AsASF, ChASF, and ßCaASF complexes provides stable matrices for formulating protein-based delivery systems for lipophilic nutraceuticals.

Transcriptome analysis reveals association of carotenoid metabolism pathway with fruit color in melon.

Flesh color is an important quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) and is determined mainly by carotenoid content, awarding them with colors, aromas, and nutrients. enhancing the nutritional and health benefits of fruits and vegetables for humans. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analysis of two melon inbred line "B-14" (orange-flesh) and "B-6" (white-flesh) at three developmental stages. We observed that the ß-carotene content of inbred line "B-6" (14.232 µg/g) was significantly lower than that of inbred line "B-14" (0.534 µg/g). RNA-sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two inbred lines at different stages; the DEGs were analyzed using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases (KEGG). We identified 33 structural DEGs in different developmental periods of the two lines that were related to carotenoid metabolism. Among them, PSY, Z-ISO, ZDS, CRTISO, CCD4, VDE1, and NCED2 were highly correlated with carotenoid content. Thus, this study provides a basis for molecular mechanism of carotenoid biosynthesis and flesh color in melon fruit.

Minerals and Antioxidant Micronutrients Levels and Clinical Outcome in Older Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 during the First Wave of the Pandemic.

Excessive inflammatory response has been implicated in severe respiratory forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Trace elements such as zinc, selenium, and copper are known to modulate inflammation and immunity. This study aimed to assess the relationships between antioxidant vitamins and mineral trace elements levels as well as COVID-19 severity in older adults hospitalized. In this observational retrospective cohort study, the levels of zinc, selenium, copper, vitamin A, ß-carotene, and vitamin E were measured in 94 patients within the first 15 days of hospitalization. The outcomes were in-hospital mortality secondary to COVID-19 or severe COVID-19. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to test whether the levels of vitamins and minerals were independently associated with severity. In this cohort (average age of 78 years), severe forms (46%) were associated with lower zinc (p = 0.012) and ß-carotene (p < 0.001) concentrations, and in-hospital mortality (15%) was associated with lower zinc (p = 0.009), selenium (p = 0.014), vitamin A (p = 0.001), and ß-carotene (p = 0.002) concentrations. In regression analysis, severe forms remained independently associated with lower zinc (aOR 2.13, p = 0.018) concentrations, and death was associated with lower vitamin A (aOR = 0.165, p = 0.021) concentrations. Low plasma concentrations of zinc and vitamin A were associated with poor prognosis in older people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Evaluation of oxidized beta-carotene on sow and piglet immune systems, sow reproductive performance, and piglet growth.

This study aimed to determine if supplementation of oxidized-beta carotene (OxC-Beta) improved sow reproductive performance, litter growth performance, vitamin A status, and ability to alter immune cells abundance in sows and piglets, subsequent litter performance, and nursery growth performance. On approximately day 60 of gestation and through the lactation period, 194 sows (blocked by parity) were assigned to a common gestation diet or the common diet supplemented with 80 ppm oxidized beta-carotene (OxC-Beta, Aviagen, Ottawa, ON, Canada). A subset of sows (N = 54 per treatment) were sampled for blood and body weight recorded at the beginning of the study, farrowing, and weaning. A blood sample was taken from a subset of piglets at birth and weaning, and all piglet weights were recorded. Blood was analyzed for vitamin A as retinol concentrations and immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgG) levels were assessed from the sow's blood. Twelve pigs (N = 6 per treatment) were euthanized at birth and weaning. The livers were collected and analyzed for the Kupffer cell phagocytic activity through flow cytometry. Whole blood was analyzed via flow cytometry for cluster of differentiation (CD335, CD8, and CD4). Colostrum during farrowing and milk at weaning were analyzed for IgG and IgA concentrations. Data were analyzed via SAS 9.4 using MIXED and frequency procedures where appropriate. No differences (P > 0.05) between dietary treatments were observed in sow reproductive performance, feed intake, wean to estrus interval, or piglet growth performance. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the plasma or liver for vitamin A. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the composition of the colostrum or milk. No immunological differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the piglets' liver and blood or sow antibodies in colostrum and milk. The supplementation of OxC-Beta did (P < 0.05) decrease IgM and tended (P < 0.10) to decrease IgG in sow plasma. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the reproductive performance of subsequent litter information from the sows. Gilt litter weaning weight and feed intake were reduced (P < 0.05) compared to sow performance. In conclusion, the supplementation of OxC-Beta at 80 ppm from day 60 of gestation through lactation does not affect the reproductive performance of sows, litter growth performance, vitamin A status, piglet immune status, and antibodies or composition in colostrum and milk.

Beta-carotene is a known antioxidant found in most red and orange-pigmented vegetables and has been documented to have health benefits. However, beta-carotene has been reported to gain oxygen molecules spontaneously, thus oxidizing it. Oxidized beta-carotene has been recognized to provide potential health benefits to animals, although its functions are independent of beta-carotene. Sows in this study were supplemented with an oxidized beta-carotene product to evaluate whether the product could improve reproductive performance, including the number of piglets born alive, piglet birth weight, weaning weight, sow milk quality, and immune function of both the sow and piglets. There were no significant findings between the reproductive performance or difference in colostrum and milk composition of the control sows and the sows supplemented with the product. There was also no difference in piglet growth between the two groups. The product did not affect the measured immune functions of the piglets. However, immunoglobulin G tended to decrease with the use of the product, and there was a decrease in immunoglobulin M. Overall, supplementing the oxidized beta-carotene product did not affect the reproductive performance of sows or the growth performance of piglets.

Characterization of grain carotenoids in global sorghum germplasm to guide genomics-assisted breeding strategies.

BACKGROUND: Crop biofortification is a successful strategy to ameliorate Vitamin A deficiency. Sorghum is a good candidate for vitamin A biofortification, as it is a staple food in regions with high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. ß-carotene-the main provitamin A carotenoid-is below the target concentration in sorghum grain, therefore biofortification breeding is required. Previous studies found evidence that sorghum carotenoid variation is oligogenic, suggesting that marker-assisted selection can be an appropriate biofortification method. However, we hypothesize that sorghum carotenoids have both oligogenic and polygenic components of variation. Genomics-assisted breeding could accelerate breeding efforts, but there exists knowledge gaps in the genetics underlying carotenoid variation, as well as appropriate germplasm to serve as donors. RESULTS: In this study, we characterized carotenoids in 446 accessions from the sorghum association panel and carotenoid panel using high-performance liquid chromatography, finding high carotenoid accessions not previously identified. Genome-wide association studies conducted with 345 accessions, confirmed that zeaxanthin epoxidase is a major gene underlying variation for not only zeaxanthin, but also lutein and ß-carotene. High carotenoid lines were found to have limited genetic diversity, and originated predominantly from only one country. Potential novel genetic diversity for carotenoid content was identified through genomic predictions in 2,495 accessions of unexplored germplasm. Oligogenic variation of carotenoids was confirmed, as well as evidence for polygenic variation, suggesting both marker-assisted selection and genomic selection can facilitate breeding efforts. CONCLUSIONS: Sorghum vitamin A biofortification could be beneficial for millions of people who rely on it as a dietary staple. Carotenoid content in sorghum is low, but high heritability suggests that increasing concentrations through breeding is possible. Low genetic diversity among high carotenoid lines might be the main limitation for breeding efforts, therefore further germplasm characterization is needed to assess the feasibility of biofortification breeding. Based on germplasm here evaluated, most countries' germplasm lacks high carotenoid alleles, thus pre-breeding will be needed. A SNP marker within the zeaxanthin epoxidase gene was identified as a good candidate for use in marker-assisted selection. Due to the oligogenic and polygenic variation of sorghum grain carotenoids, both marker-assisted selection and genomic selection can be employed to accelerate breeding efforts.

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Fusion Spread Carotenogenesis Among Diverse Heterotrophic Protists.

Thraustochytrids (phylum: Labyrinthulomycota) are nonphotosynthetic marine protists. Some thraustochytrids have crtIBY, a trifunctional fusion gene encoding a protein capable of ß-carotene biosynthesis from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. Here we show that crtIBY is essential in, and encodes the sole pathway for, carotenoid biosynthesis in the thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium limacinum ATCC MYA-1381. We explore the evolutionary origins of CrtIBY and discover that the closest related protein domains are present in a small but diverse group of other heterotrophic protists, including the apusomonad Thecamonas trahens and the dinoflagellates Oxyrrhis marina and Noctiluca scintillans. Each organism within this cluster also contains one or more ß-carotene 15-15' oxygenase genes (blh and rpe65), suggesting that the acquisition of ß-carotene biosynthesis genes may have been related to the production of retinal. Our findings support a novel origin of eukaryotic (apo)carotenoid biosynthesis by horizontal gene transfer from Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and/or Archaea. This reveals a remarkable case of parallel evolution of eukaryotic (apo)carotenogenesis in divergent protistan lineages by repeated gene transfers.

Retinol and Pro-Vitamin A Carotenoid Nutritional Status during Pregnancy Is Associated with Newborn Hearing Screen Results.

The prenatal period is critical for auditory development; thus, prenatal influences on auditory development may significantly impact long-term hearing ability. While previous studies identified a protective effect of carotenoids on adult hearing, the impact of these nutrients on hearing outcomes in neonates is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between maternal and umbilical cord plasma retinol and carotenoid concentrations and abnormal newborn hearing screen (NHS) results. Mother-infant dyads (n = 546) were enrolled at delivery. Plasma samples were analyzed using HPLC and LC-MS/MS. NHS results were obtained from medical records. Statistical analysis utilized Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression models, with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Abnormal NHS results were observed in 8.5% of infants. Higher median cord retinol (187.4 vs. 162.2 µg/L, p = 0.01), maternal trans-ß-carotene (206.1 vs. 149.4 µg/L, p = 0.02), maternal cis-ß-carotene (15.9 vs. 11.2 µg/L, p = 0.02), and cord trans-ß-carotene (15.5 vs. 8.0 µg/L, p = 0.04) were associated with abnormal NHS. Significant associations between natural log-transformed retinol and ß-carotene concentrations and abnormal NHS results remained after adjustment for smoking status, maternal age, and corrected gestational age. Further studies should investigate if congenital metabolic deficiencies, pesticide contamination of carotenoid-rich foods, maternal hypothyroidism, or other variables mediate this relationship.