Zeaxanthin: Metabolism, Properties, and Antioxidant Protection of Eyes, Heart, Liver, and Skin

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Abstract

Zeaxanthin, a non-provitamin A carotenoid that belongs to the xanthophyll family, has been less studied than its isomer lutein. However, zeaxanthin has also been shown to have a number of beneficial effects for human health due to its ability to quench free radicals, exert antioxidant effects, as well as decrease inflammation. It is the purpose of this review to discuss the metabolism of zeaxanthin, including digestion, absorption, transport, and uptake by tissues, as well as the dietary or other factors which affect zeaxanthin bioavailability. In addition, this review also focuses on specific effects of this carotenoid on eye, skin, liver, and cardiovascular health. Data derived from human interventions, animal models of research, and in vitro and cell studies are discussed in this review.

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Dietary carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Eye Disease Case-Control Study Group.

J M Seddon, U A Ajani, R Sperduto … (1994)

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the relationships between dietary intake of carotenoids and vitamins A, C, and E and the risk of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness among adults. DESIGN--The multicenter Eye Disease Case-Control Study. SETTING--Five ophthalmology centers in the United States. PATIENTS--A total of 356 case subjects who were diagnosed with the advanced stage of AMD within 1 year prior to their enrollment, aged 55 to 80 years, and residing near a participating clinical center. The 520 control subjects were from the same geographic areas as case subjects, had other ocular diseases, and were frequency-matched to cases according to age and sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--The relative risk for AMD was estimated according to dietary indicators of antioxidant status, controlling for smoking and other risk factors, by using multiple logistic-regression analyses. RESULTS--A higher dietary intake of carotenoids was associated with a lower risk for AMD. Adjusting for other risk factors for AMD, we found that those in the highest quintile of carotenoid intake had a 43% lower risk for AMD compared with those in the lowest quintile (odds ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.35 to 0.92; P for trend = .02). Among the specific carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are primarily obtained from dark green, leafy vegetables, were most strongly associated with a reduced risk for AMD (P for trend = .001). Several food items rich in carotenoids were inversely associated with AMD. In particular, a higher frequency of intake of spinach or collard greens was associated with a substantially lower risk for AMD (P for trend < .001). The intake of preformed vitamin A (retinol) was not appreciably related to AMD. Neither vitamin E nor total vitamin C consumption was associated with a statistically significant reduced risk for AMD, although a possibly lower risk for AMD was suggested among those with higher intake of vitamin C, particularly from foods. CONCLUSION--Increasing the consumption of foods rich in certain carotenoids, in particular dark green, leafy vegetables, may decrease the risk of developing advanced or exudative AMD, the most visually disabling form of macular degeneration among older people. These findings support the need for further studies of this relationship.

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Carotenoids and Their Isomers: Color Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables

Hock-Eng Khoo, K Prasad, Kin-Weng Kong … (2011)

Fruits and vegetables are colorful pigment-containing food sources. Owing to their nutritional benefits and phytochemicals, they are considered as ‘functional food ingredients’. Carotenoids are some of the most vital colored phytochemicals, occurring as all-trans and cis-isomers, and accounting for the brilliant colors of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids extensively studied in this regard include β-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Coloration of fruits and vegetables depends on their growth maturity, concentration of carotenoid isomers, and food processing methods. This article focuses more on several carotenoids and their isomers present in different fruits and vegetables along with their concentrations. Carotenoids and their geometric isomers also play an important role in protecting cells from oxidation and cellular damages.

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Pathogenesis and Prevention of Hepatic Steatosis.

Fatiha Nassir, Ghassan M Hammoud, Jamal Ibdah … (2015)

Hepatic steatosis is defined as intrahepatic fat of at least 5% of liver weight. Simple accumulation of triacylglycerols in the liver could be hepatoprotective; however, prolonged hepatic lipid storage may lead to liver metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and advanced forms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Several mechanisms are involved in the accumulation of intrahepatic fat, including increased flux of fatty acids to the liver, increased de novo lipogenesis, and/or reduced clearance through β-oxidation or very-low-density lipoprotein secretion. This article summarizes the mechanisms involved in the accumulation of triacylglycerols in the liver, the clinical implications, and the prevention of hepatic steatosis, with a focus on the role of mitochondrial function and lifestyle modifications.

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Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Antioxidants (Basel)

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Antioxidants (Basel)

Journal ID (publisher-id): antioxidants

Title: Antioxidants

Publisher: MDPI

ISSN (Electronic): 2076-3921

Publication date (Electronic): 11 September 2019

Publication date Collection: September 2019

Volume: 8

Issue: 9

Electronic Location Identifier: 390

Affiliations

[1 ]Biochemistry Department, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca 2060, Costa Rica; anagabriela.murillo@ 123456ucr.ac.cr

[2 ]Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; siqi.hu@ 123456uconn.edu

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[* ]Correspondence: maria-luz.fernandez@ 123456uconn.edu ; Tel.: +1-860-486-5547

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Maria Luz Fernandez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1835-0792

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Publisher ID: antioxidants-08-00390

DOI: 10.3390/antiox8090390

PMC ID: 6770730

PubMed ID: 31514298

SO-VID: 9797a861-6fe9-4c00-8420-4b9ebd2d7536

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Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Zeaxanthin: Metabolism, Properties, and Antioxidant Protection of Eyes, Heart, Liver, and Skin

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Karger: Ophthalmology

Most cited references 89

Dietary carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Eye Disease Case-Control Study Group.

Carotenoids and Their Isomers: Color Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables

Pathogenesis and Prevention of Hepatic Steatosis.

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