An update on the potential health benefits of carotenes

Carotenes, which are yellow-orange pigments, are a class of related organic compounds classified as hydrocarbons, more specifically as terpenoids, with the molecular formula C40H56. Plants, fungi, and photosynthetic bacteria synthesize carotenes, while animals must obtain them as a dietary nutrient (Vrolijk et al., 2015). Plants are capable of synthesizing several isomers of carotene. Alpha-carotene (α-carotene) and beta-carotene (β-carotene) are the two primary isomers found in plants; other carotene isomers found in plants are gamma-, delta-, epsilon-, and zeta-carotene (γ, δ, ε, and ζ-carotene) (Hammond and Renzi, 2013). βCarotene is the most common form of carotene in plants and can be found in yellow, orange, and green leafy vegetables and fruits. It is an important dietary resource and a precursor of vitamin A in humans (Haskell, 2012; Tang, 2012; Sommer and Vyas, 2012). Carotenes show a range of biological activity and health benefits for animals, making it an interesting material for the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. We have reviewed the most recent studies on carotenes and its biological and pharmacological activities (Table 1).