Use of Microorganisms for Carotenoids Delivery: next Generation of Probiotics for Cardiovascular Disease

Introduction: Functional foods provide a buoyant growth sector. A particular dynamic area is the use of carotenoids, not only as colorants but also as food additives. One issue with these products is their instability both on the shelf and upon digestion. Specific bacteria from the Bacillus species were shown to produce carotenoids, which have been shown to exert superior stability throughout the gut and higher antioxidant activity and bioavailability than common dietary carotenoids. Furthermore, several Bacillus species have been shown to have probiotic properties, making that the administration of specific carotenoid-producing Bacilli can have unique health benefits. Based on initial promising data, the EU FP7 CARODEL project aimed to reach complete development of an efficient oral delivery strategy of this concept and to evaluate health-beneficial activities of both the carotenoids and the Bacillus delivery vehicle, with the ultimate goal to improve biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD).