We quantitatively interpret the recently discovered intriguing phenomenon related to resonance Hyper-Raman (HR) scattering. In resonance HR spectra of all-trans-β-carotene (β-carotene) in solution, vibrations of proximate solvent molecules are observed concomitantly with the solute β-carotene HR bands. It has been shown that these solvent bands are subject to marked intensity enhancements by mo...

Breast conserving surgery (BCS) is a recommended treatment for breast cancer patients where the goal is to remove the tumor and a surrounding rim of normal tissue. Unfortunately, a high percentage of patients return for additional surgeries to remove all of the cancer. Post-operative pathology is the gold standard for evaluating BCS margins but is limited due to the amount of tissue that can be...

BACKGROUND Sunscreen use and dietary antioxidants are advocated as preventives of skin aging, but supporting evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVE To determine whether regular use of sunscreen compared with discretionary use or β-carotene supplements compared with placebo retard skin aging, measured by degree of photoaging. DESIGN Randomized, controlled, community-based intervention. (Australian N...

A great interest has recently been focused on lycopene and β-carotene, because of their antioxidant action in the organism. Red-flesh watermelon is one of the main sources of lycopene as the most abundant carotenoid. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in post-harvesting has permitted us to rapidly quantify lycopene, β-carotene, and total soluble solids (TSS) on single intact fruits. W...

Several factors, including fruit and vegetables intakes, have been shown to significantly influence the plasma concentrations of the two antioxidants vitamin C and β-carotene. Deficiency levels of 6 mg/L (34.2 μM) for vitamin C and of 0.22 mg/L (0.4 μM) for β-carotene have been suggested below which cardiovascular risk might be increased. The present study performed on 897 presumably healthy su...

AIM Free radicals, oxidative stress and their possible consequences for health are becoming increasingly important in modern medicine. Reactive species influence the organism, potentially causing oxidative cell damage. They can be produced by exogenous sources, or be a product of a variety of not only physiological metabolic processes, such as immune response, but also pathological processes. T...

A role of carotenoids as modulators of physical properties of model and biological membranes has been already postulated. However, there is a lack of information on the influence of these pigments on interactions between the lipids which form such membranes. This paper applies atomic force microscopy (AFM) in to study the effects of β-carotene on the adhesion properties of DPPC multilamellar li...

β-Carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, possesses pronounced radical scavenging properties. This has centered the attention on β-carotene dietary supplementation in healthcare as well as in the therapy of degenerative disorders and several cancer types. However, two intervention trials with β-carotene have revealed adverse effects on two proband groups, that is, cigarette smokers and asbestos-e...

Biofortification of cassava with the provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene is a potential mechanism for alleviating vitamin A deficiency. Cassava is a staple food in the African diet, but data regarding the human bioavailability of β-carotene from this food are scarce. The objective of the present study was to evaluate provitamin A-enhanced cassava as a source of β-carotene and vitamin A for healt...

While diets rich in fruit and vegetables appear to reduce lung cancer risk, the evidence for individual carotenoid and vitamin intakes has been judged too limited to reach firm conclusions. Data from a case-control study of lung cancer (Montreal, QC, Canada, 1996-2002) were used to investigate the role of dietary intakes of β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, a...