Major chloroplast pigments in five leafy vegetables (chicory-Cichorium intybus, cv. 'Anivip' and cv. 'Monivip', dandelion-Taraxacum officinale, garden rocket-Eruca sativa and wild rocket-Diplotaxis tenuifolia), commonly consumed in Mediterranean countries, have been separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a reversed-phase column. Three classes of pigments were identified a...

We studied carotenoids composition and the activities of the xanthophylls pigments in evergreen conifers (Abies sibirica, Juniperus communis, Picea obovata) and dwarf-shrub (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and in wintergreen herbaceous plants (Ajuga reptans, Pyrola rotundifolia) growing near Syktyvkar (61°67(/) N 50°77(/) E). The carotenoid pool consisted mainly of following xanthophylls: lutein (70%),...

Diets high in fruits and vegetables are generally believed protective against several chronic diseases. One suggested mechanism is a reduction in oxidative stress. The carotenoids, nutrients found in colored fruits and vegetables, possess antioxidant properties in vitro, but their role in humans is less well documented. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationships betw...

Lateral organization of membranes made from binary mixtures of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and macular xanthophylls (lutein or zeaxanthin) was investigated using the saturation-recovery (SR) EPR spin-labeling discrimination by oxygen transport (DOT) method in which the bimolecular collision rate of molecular oxygen with the nitroxide spin label...

Xanthophylls (oxygenated carotenoids) are essential components of the plant photosynthetic apparatus, where they act in photosystem assembly, light harvesting, and photoprotection. Nevertheless, the specific function of individual xanthophyll species awaits complete elucidation. In this work, we analyze the photosynthetic phenotypes of two newly isolated Arabidopsis mutants in carotenoid biosyn...

Excess adiposity or obesity has been inversely related to cognitive function and macular xanthophyll status. However, whether the neuroprotective effects of macular xanthophylls on cognitive function are independent of excess adiposity is unclear. We investigated the relationship between macular xanthophylls and intellectual ability among adults (N = 114) between 25 and 45 years with overweight...

OBJECTIVE Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial degenerative disease of the retina, which accounts for slowly progressive visual impairment in the elderly. An increased dietary intake of xanthophylls is suggested to be inversely related to the risk of macular disease. METHODS The present study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial ...

Multiple epidemiological studies have emphasized the intake of dark green leafy vegetables rich in xanthophylls in reducing the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Therefore, the present study was undertaken to quantify the levels of major carotenoids in commonly consumed fruits and vegetables of Indian origin and of xanthophylls in the macula of Indian human donor eyes. ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which carotenoids [xanthophylls vs. beta-carotene(beta-C)] are taken up by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The human RPE cell line, ARPE-19, was used. When ARPE-19 cells were fully differentiated (7-9 weeks), the xanthophylls lutein (LUT) and zeaxanthin (ZEA) were taken up by cells to an extent 2-fold higher than beta-C (P <...