Two strains were selected--the lactoso-negative yeast Rhodotorula rubra GED2 and the homofermentative Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei Ha1 for co-cultivation in cheese whey ultrafiltrate (WU) and active synthesis of carotenoids. Under conditions of intensive aeration (1.0 l/l min, 220 rpm), a temperature of 30 degrees C, WU with 55.0 g lactose/l, initial pH = 5.5, the carotenoid content in the ...

OBJECTIVE Recent epidemiological studies show the association of antioxidant carotenoids with type 2 diabetes, but thorough longitudinal cohort studies regarding this association have not been well conducted. The objective of this study was to investigate longitudinally whether serum carotenoids are associated with the risk for developing type 2 diabetes among Japanese subjects. RESEARCH DESI...

BACKGROUND Carotenoids are thought to have anti-cancer properties, but findings from population-based research have been inconsistent. OBJECTIVE We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the associations between carotenoids and lung cancer. DESIGN We searched electronic databases for articles published through September 2007. Six randomized clinical trials examining the efficacy of beta-ca...

There has been considerable interest in the role of carotenoids in the chemoprevention of cancer. However, the protective effect of carotenoids on breast cancer has been inconclusive. To investigate whether intake of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin is inversely associated with breast cancer risk, a case-control study was conducted in China duri...

BACKGROUND Carotenoids are an important group of phytonutrients that are abundant in fruits and vegetables. Epidemiological and clinical intervention studies have implied the presence of protective qualities of these nutrients against the development of a variety of chronic diseases. Previously, human carotenoid status has been assessed in serum and tissue using high-performance liquid chromato...

‘Golden Rice’ is a variety of rice engineered to produce bcarotene (pro-vitamin A) to help combat vitamin A deficiency1, and it has been predicted that its contribution to alleviating vitamin A deficiency would be substantially improved through even higher b-carotene content2. We hypothesized that the daffodil gene encoding phytoene synthase (psy), one of the two genes used to develop Golden Ri...

Aging is commonly attributed to age-related changes in oxidative damage due to an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a weakened efficacy of enzymatic antioxidants. These age-related changes might therefore modify the use of dietary antioxidants, including carotenoids. As carotenoids are closely associated with the expression of secondary sexual signals, the allocation of ...

Carotenoids are thought to act as antioxidants in vivo, decreasing oxidative damage to biomolecules and thus protecting against coronary heart disease and cancer. However, human intervention studies with beta-carotene have given equivocal results in terms of cancer incidence. In an alternative molecular epidemiological approach, we have employed the 'comet assay' (single cell alkaline gel elect...

Phytochemicals are reported to provide various biological functions leading to the promotion of health as well as the reduced risk of chronic diseases. Fat-soluble plant pigments, carotenoids, are extensively studied micronutrient phytochemicals for their potential health benefits. It is noteworthy that specific carotenoids may be responsible for different protective effects against certain dis...