The formal first step in in vitamin A metabolism is the conversion of its natural precursor β,β-carotene (C40) to retinaldehyde (C20). This reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme β,β-carotene-15,15'-monooxygenase (BCMO1). BCMO1 has been cloned from several vertebrate species, including humans. However, knowledge about this protein's enzymatic and structural properties is scant. Here we expressed h...

β-carotene is a lipophilic micronutrient that is considered beneficial to human health. However, there are some limitations in utilizing β-carotene in functional foods or dietary supplements currently because of its poor water dispersibility and chemical stability. A new type of β-carotene bilayer emulsion delivery system was prepared by a layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition technique, for ...

Article history: Received on: 21/05/2016 Revised on: 23/06/2016 Accepted on: 14/07/2016 Available online: 30/08/2016 In the present study, the effects of hypo-osmotic and hyper-osmotic shock on β-carotene and glycerol production by a native strain of Dunaliella salina isolated from Maharlu Salt Lake, Fars province, Iran, were investigated. The amount of β-carotene and glycerol at 1 h, 2 h, 8 h ...

The need for antioxidant agents, which can prevent oxidative stress, has become a major priority. Saharan plants could constitute a reservoir of effective biomolecules useful as antioxidants. Genista saharae, wich is anendemic plant of Algeria,is a leafless spontaneous fabaceae called "Tellegit" by local people. As it is known to be a source of chemical compounds which are characterized by anti...

The effects of the initial emulsion structure (droplet size and emulsifier) on the properties of β-carotene-loaded emulsions and the bioavailability of β-carotene after passing through simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT) digestion were investigated. Exposure to GIT significantly changed the droplet size, surface charge and composition of all emulsions, and these changes were dependent on the...

The method for separation and quantitative determination of the main carotenoids in food by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was in-house validated. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum M.) as food matrix was used to demonstrate its linearity, repeatability, intermediate precision, detection and quantification limits, sensitivity and bias. In addition, stability of carotenoids was studi...

The relationship between carotenoid accumulation and expression of carotenoid biosynthesis genes was investigated in the flowers, stems, young leaves, old leaves, and roots of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis). Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA levels of BrPSY, BrPDS, BrZDS, BrLCYB, BrLCYE, BrCHXB, and BrZEP leading to the production of carotenoids were hi...

An improved extraction and HPLC method for the simultaneous extraction and quantitation of retinol, α-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol and β-carotene was developed to analyze commercial whole/semi-skim/skim samples of raw/pasteurized/UHT milk in transparent plastic/glass bottles and Tetra Brik containers. The sample preparation method required prior saponification at 40oC for 15 min followed by n-hexa...

Blakeslea trispora is a good alternative source for producing such carotenoids as lycopene and β-carotene. The objective of this research was to elaborate a method for the simultaneous determination of lycopene and β-carotene in Blakeslea trispora products using a usual UV-vis spectrophotometer. The standard solutions of the mixture of different concentrations of β-carotene and lycopene were me...