The flower of Polygonatum cyrtonema has good edible and medicinal values. In this study, four samples of P. cyrtonema flowers from different regions were selected as test materials. The contents, composition and antioxidant activities of lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components were determined under different light and temperature conditions, which help to reveal the discoloration reason and the composition variation patterns during storage. The results showed that light and temperature had different effects on the lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components in the dried flowers during storage. After storage for 4 weeks, the contents of total chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenols and saponins in the samples exposed to light respectively decreased by 62.62%, 66.4%, 68.7% and 43.4% compared with those in the dark. The decreases in the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, lutein, β-carotene and zeaxanthin were 64.64%, 56.74%, 59.2%, 77.7% and 45.4%, respectively. The contents of pigments and components in the samples stored at-20 ℃ were significantly higher than those at room temperature and 4 ℃, indicating that low temperature was conductive to the stability of lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components. The samples stored at low temperature and in the dark had the strongest free radical scavenging activity. The results suggest that P. cyrtonema dried flowers should be stored in low temperature environment without light, which can slow down the degradation of internal components. The study provides a theoretical basis for the production, processing and storage of P. cyrtonema flowers.
Antioxidants ; Carotenoids ; Chlorophyll A ; Flowers ; Polygonatum

Fresh,directly roasted and sand-roasted samples of the radix of ophlogogon contain also saponosids, flavonoids, aminoacides, carotenoids, sugars, fats. They are no significant differences. In decoction 1:1 form, ophlogogon with the dose of 2,5gr/kg of body weight manifests the inhibition of cough reflexe similar to terpine-codeine preparation;with the dose of 10mg /kg bd, no effect of phlegm clearing is manifested
Chemistry ; Biology ; Flavonoids ; Carotenoids ; Carbohydrates ; fats

A total of 206 residents (76 males and 130 females) of a rural area of Hokkaido, Japan, attending a health check in August, 1997, were studied to assess the relationship between serum carotenoids and atrophic gastritis (AG). Of the participants, 91 had AG, as indicated by their serum levels of pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II. Logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for gender and age, revealed that the odds ratios for serum carotenoid levels were lower for subjects with high serum levels of α-carotene (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% C.I., 0.19−0.88) and β-carotene (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% C.I., 0.18−0.91) than for those with low serum carotenoid levels. In addition, the odds ratios of subjects with high serum levels of β-cryptoxanthin (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% C.I., 0.28−1.31), provitamin A (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% C.I., 0.17−0.85), and retinol (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% C.I., 0.31−1.48) were found to be lower than the odds ratios for those with low serum levels. Odds ratios for subjects with high serum zeaxanthin/lutein levels were higher than odds ratios for those with low serum levels. These results suggest that frequent intake of foods rich in carotenoids with provitamin A activity may reduce the risk of AG.
Serum ; Carotenoids ; Carbon ion ; Hokkaido ; Silver

Carotenoids ; Dental Implants ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Oxygenases ; Tooth

Since synthetic pigments are potentially harmful to human health, natural ones such as bixin, one of the carotenoids, are favored. As the second widely used natural pigment in the world, there is significant interest in the biosynthetic pathway of bixin which has not been fully elucidated. This review summarizes the chemical properties, extraction methods, biosynthetic pathway and application of bixin. In addition, we compared the difference between traditional extraction methods and new extraction techniques. Moreover, we described the genes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of bixin and the effects of abiotic stress on the biosynthesis of bixin, and discussed the application of bixin in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. However, the researches on bixin biosynthesis pathway are mostly carried out at the transcriptome level and most of the gene functions have not been elucidated. Therefore, we propose to characterize the entire bixin biosynthetic pathway using techniques of genomics, bioinformatics, and phytochemistry. This will help facilitate the synthetic biology research of bixin and development of bixin into new drugs.
Bixaceae/genetics* ; Carotenoids ; Humans ; Pigmentation ; Transcriptome

Brightly colored foods are a rich source of phytochemicals that may act against hyperglycemic agents. The major concern in diabetes is increased oxidative stress. Some studies on phytochemicals have revealed their antioxidant activities and beneficial effects for diabetes. Some well-known phytochemicals are carotinoids and flavonids such as lycopene, beta-carotin, and anthocyanin. Many studies suggest that phytochemical-rich foods might have therapeutic uses. However, the ingestion of improper amounts of these chemicals may be harmful. The most important message of this study is that a balanced diet has favorable effects on oxidative stress status in type 2 diabetes patients.
Anthocyanins ; Antioxidants ; Carotenoids ; Diet ; Eating ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Therapeutic Uses

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic variant in a neonate with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). METHODS: Clinical data of the neonate was collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents and subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: The child was noted to have yellowish hair upon birth. NGS revealed that he has harbored a heterozygous c.3914del (p.P1305Rfs*20) frameshifting variant of the TSC2 gene. The variant has probably caused premature termination of translation, resulting in a truncated protein. CONCLUSION Yellowish hair has rarely been described as the first manifestation of TSC. The c.3914del (p.P1305Rfs*20) variant of the TSC2 gene probably underlay the TSC in this patient.
Male ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Tuberous Sclerosis/genetics* ; Family ; Carotenoids ; Heterozygote

Carotenoids are secondary metabolite responsible for colored pigments in plants and microbes (Li et al., 2022). They are a class of C₄₀ tetraterpenoids consisting of eight isoprenoid units, and can be classified into carotenes and xanthophylls on the basis of their functional groups (Saini et al., 2015). Carotenes can be linear (phytoene, phytofluene, and ζ‍-carotene) or branched (β‍-carotene and α‍-carotene). Xanthophylls comprise β,β‍-xanthophylls (β‍-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, violaxanthins, and neoxanthin) and β,ε‍-xanthophylls (α-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and lutein). Citrus fruits are complex sources of carotenoids, which are the principal pigments responsible for the typical orange color of most types (Chen, 2020). The difference in total carotenoid content and the diversity of carotenoid isomer proportion also accounts for other colors of citrus fruits, such as yellow, red, and pink (Chen, 2020).
Citrus/metabolism* ; Carotenoids ; Xanthophylls ; Lutein/metabolism* ; Zeaxanthins/metabolism* ; Fruit

Plasma carotenoid levels were compared among 64 healthy male subjects (control) and 38 patients of ischemic heart disease(IHD) and 20 ones of cerebral infarction(CI) all of whom were over 50years of age. Another 98 healthy male subjects aged 23 to 58 were selected to compare their plasma carotenoid levels by age groups, Levels of lutein, zeaxanthin and crpytoxanthin were lower in IHD(34+/-2, 13+/-1 and 62+/-7 microgram/dl)and CI(36+/-3, 12+/-2 and 41+/-6 microgram/dl)patient groups than in control group (84+/-5, 16+/-2 and 69+/-3 microgram/dl) while those of lycopene, alpha-and beta-carotene varied little among the three groups. The sum of the six carotenoid levels were levels were, therefore,highest(205+/-14 microgram/dl) in the control group followed by IHD(155+/-15 microgram/dl) and CI(128+/-17 microgram/dl) patient groups, Among the 98 healthy male subject for the age group study, levels of the three major carotenoids increased with age from the twenties to the fifities ; lutein, from 64+/-6 to 89+/-8 microgram/dl, cryptoxanthin, 57+/-8 to 73+/-4 microgram/dl and beta-carotene were more significantly correlated(r=0.30 to 0.61, p<0.01), whereas levels of lycopene and alpha-caroteme were significantly(r=0.21 - 0.23, p<0.05) correlated.
beta Carotene ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Carotenoids ; Cerebral Infarction ; Daegu* ; Heart ; Humans ; Lutein ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Plasma*

To examine the substrate specificity of carotenoid 3',4'-desaturase (DR2250) from Deinococcus radiodurans, we amplified the dr2250 gene by using PCR methods. The PCR products were digested by Hind III-BamH I and ligated into the vector pUC19, yielding recombinant vector pUC-CRTD. We analyzed the carotenoids of E. coli transformants containing pACCRT-EBI(Eu) and (or) pRK-CRTC and (or) pUC-CRTD. Our results demonstrated that DR2250 had substrate specificity on the carotenoids with hydroxyl group at C1 (1').
Carotenoids ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Deinococcus ; enzymology ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Substrate Specificity