β-Cryptoxanthin (β-CRX) is a carotenoid found in human blood. It is specifically rich in Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) but very little in other fruits or vegetables. Several reports indicate the health promoting benefits of β-CRX. As we had reported visceral fat reduction on mildly obese male by the oral administration of β-CRX, a detailed mechanism has not been identified. To identify...

Isolated albedo tissue of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marcovitch, cv. Owari) fruit produced a large quantity of ethylene during incubation at 26 C in the dark. When sliced, albedo tissue began producing ethylene at an increasing rate until a maximum was reached after incubation for about 30 hours. Aged albedo discs which were capable of producing ethylene, actively converted l-[U-(14)C]meth...

β-Cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid, and hesperidin, a flavonoid, possess inhibitory effects on carcinogenesis in several tissues. We recently have prepared a pulp (CHRP) and citrus juices (MJ2 and MJ5) from a satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Mar.) juice (MJ). They contain high amounts of β-cryptoxanthin and hesperidin. We have demonstrated that CHRP and/or MJs inhibit chemically induced rat colon, ra...