Effects of antioxidants on the stability of β-Carotene in O/W emulsions stabilized by Gum Arabic

Disease Prevention and Treatment Using β-Carotene: the Ultimate Provitamin A

Humans being unable to synthesize beta-carotene, the provitamin A, depend on external sources as its supplement. Health benefits and dietary requirements of beta-carotene are interrelated. This orange-red coloured pigment has been enormously examined for its capacity to alleviate several chronic diseases including various types of cancer, cystic fibrosis, as well as COVID-19. However, this class of phytoconstituents has witnessed a broad research gap due to several twin conclusions that have been reported. Natural sources for these compounds along with their extraction methods have been mentioned. The current communication aims at contributing to the global scientific literature on beta-carotene’s application in prevention and treatment of lifestyle diseases.

Kinetic Study of Encapsulated β-Carotene Degradation in Aqueous Environments: A Review

The provitamin A activity of β-carotene is of primary interest to address one of the world's major malnutrition concerns. β carotene is a fat-soluble compound and its bioavailability from natural sources is very poor. Hence, studies have been focused on the development of specific core/shell micro- or nano-structures that encapsulate β-carotene in order to allow its dispersion in liquid systems and improve its bioavailability. One key objective when developing these structures is also to accomplish β-carotene stability. The aim of this review is to collect kinetic data (rate constants, activation energy) on the degradation of encapsulated β-carotene in order to derive knowledge on the possibility for these systems to be scaled-up to the industrial production of functional foods. Results showed that most of the nano- and micro-structures designed for β-carotene encapsulation and dispersion in the water phase provide better protection with respect to a natural matrix, such as carrot juice, increasing the β-carotene half-life from about 30 d to more than 100 d at room temperature. One promising approach to increase β-carotene stability was found to be the use of wall material, surfactants, or co-encapsulated compounds with antioxidant activity. Moreover, a successful approach was the design of structures, where the core is partially or fully solidified; alternatively, either the core or the interface or the outer phase are gelled. The data collected could serve as a basis for the rational design of structures for β-carotene encapsulation, where new ingredients, especially the extraordinary natural array of hydrocolloids, are applied.

Effect of Co-Encapsulated Natural Antioxidants with Modified Starch on the Oxidative Stability of β-Carotene Loaded within Nanoemulsions

β-Carotene (vitamin A precursor) and α-tocopherol, the utmost energetic form of vitamin E (VE), are known to be fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs) and essential nutrients needed to enhance the growth and metabolic functions of the human body. Their deficiencies are linked to numerous chronic disorders. Loading of FSVs within nanoemulsions could increase their oxidative stability and solubility. In this research, VE and β-Carotene (BC) were successfully co-entrapped within oil-in-water nanoemulsions of carrier oils, including tuna fish oil (TFO) and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), stabilized by modified starch and Tween-80. These nanoemulsions and free carrier oils loaded with vitamins were stored for over one month to investigate the impact of storage circumstances on their physiochemical characteristics. Entrapped bioactive compounds inside the nanoemulsions and bare oil systems showed a diverse behavior in terms of oxidation. A more deficiency of FSVs was found at higher temperatures that were more noticeable in the case of BC. VE behaved like an antioxidant to protect BC in MCT-based nanoemulsions, whereas it could not protect BC perfectly inside the TFO-loaded nanoemulsions. However, cinnamaldehyde (CIN) loading significantly enhanced the oxidative stability and FSVs retention in each nanoemulsion. Purity gum ultra (PGU)-based nanoemulsions comprising FSVs and CIN presented a greater BC retention (42.3%) and VE retention (90.1%) over one-month storage at 40 °C than Twee 80. The superior stability of PGU is accredited to the OSA-MS capabilities to produce denser interfacial coatings that can protect the entrapped compounds from the aqueous phase. This study delivers valuable evidence about the simultaneous loading of lipophilic bioactive compounds to enrich functional foods.

Beta-carotene and its protective effect on gastric cancer

Beta-carotene is an important natural pigment that is very beneficial to human health. It is widely found in vegetables and fruits. The three main functions are antioxidant effects, cell gap junction-related functions and immune-related functions. Because of its diverse functions, beta-carotene is believed to prevent and treat many chronic diseases. Gastric cancer is one of the most important diseases it can treat. Gastric cancer is a type of cancer with a high incidence. Its etiology varies, and the pathogenesis is complex. Gastric cancer seriously affects human health. The role of beta-carotene, a natural nutrient, in gastric cancer has been explored by many researchers, including molecular mechanisms and epidemiological studies. Molecular studies have mainly focused on oxidative stress, cell cycle, signal transduction pathways and immune-related mechanisms of beta-carotene in gastric cancer. Many epidemiological surveys and cohort studies of patients with gastric cancer have been conducted, and the results of these epidemiological studies vary due to the use of different research methods and analysis of different regions. This paper will summarize the results of these studies, mainly in terms of molecular mechanisms and epidemiological research results, which will provide a systematic basis for future studies of the treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer. This paper will help researchers identify new research directions.

Potential of Nanonutraceuticals in Increasing Immunity

Nutraceuticals are defined as foods or their extracts that have a demonstrably positive effect on human health. According to the decision of the European Food Safety Authority, this positive effect, the so-called health claim, must be clearly demonstrated best by performed tests. Nutraceuticals include dietary supplements and functional foods. These special foods thus affect human health and can positively affect the immune system and strengthen it even in these turbulent times, when the human population is exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these special foods are supplemented with nanoparticles of active substances or processed into nanoformulations. The benefits of nanoparticles in this case include enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, and increased stability. Lipid-based delivery systems and the encapsulation of nutraceuticals are mainly used for the enrichment of food products with these health-promoting compounds. This contribution summarizes the current state of the research and development of effective nanonutraceuticals influencing the body's immune responses, such as vitamins (C, D, E, B12, folic acid), minerals (Zn, Fe, Se), antioxidants (carotenoids, coenzyme Q10, polyphenols, curcumin), omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics.

Isotonic Beverage Pigmented with Water-Dispersible Emulsion from Astaxanthin Oleoresin

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant, because it neutralizes free radicals and plays a vital role in the prevention of human diseases. The objective of this work was to develop an isotonic beverage (IB) of orange-red color, using an astaxanthin oleoresin emulsion (AOE) that is dispersible in water. This was carried out in order to simulate the color of commercial isotonic beverages (CIB) prepared from artificial pigments. The size of the AOE micelles ranged from 0.15 to 7.60 µm². The color difference (ΔE) was similar for the samples exposed to dark as well as light conditions. The samples subjected to light stress showed pigment degradation after seven days, followed by a decrease in the concentration of astaxanthin; whereas, the samples exposed to dark conditions remained stable for seven days and then showed a decrease in the concentration of astaxanthin (this decrease ranged from 65% to 76% when compared to the initial content) after a period of 91 days. For the astaxanthin oleoresin (AO) and AOE, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values reached 5224 and 1968 µmol of trolox equivalents (TE)/100 g, respectively. When exposed to light conditions, the addition of AOE in the IB led to its rapid degradation, while it remained stable in the samples exposed to the dark conditions.

Effect of the Solid Fat Content on Properties of Emulsion Gels and Stability of β-Carotene

Whey-protein-isolate-based emulsion gels were prepared through a cold-set gelation process, and the effect of the solid fat (coconut oil) content in the oil phase on gel properties and β-carotene stability was investigated. An increase in solid fat content (0, 20, 50, 80, and 100% of the oil phase) resulted in a smaller droplet size, higher viscosity, and improved creaming stability of the emulsions. When glucono-δ-lactone was added to initiate gelation, a higher solid fat content contributed to an earlier onset of gelation and a higher storage modulus of the gels. Textural analysis indicated that the increase in the solid fat content allowed for an increase in fracture stress and Young's modulus of the emulsion gels. Microscopic observation revealed that emulsions containing a higher solid fat content formed gels with a denser and more uniform particulate network structure. The stability of β-carotene against thermal treatment (55 °C for 12 days) and ultraviolet light exposure (8 h) was determined. The results suggested that the solidification of the oil phase can improve the stability of β-carotene, and gels with higher hardness were capable of retaining more β-carotene after the treatments. These findings indicated that emulsion gels with a solidified oil phase could be potential delivery systems for lipophilic bioactive compounds.

Elevated vitamin E content improves all-trans β-carotene accumulation and stability in biofortified sorghum

Micronutrient deficiencies are common in locales where people must rely upon sorghum as their staple diet. Sorghum grain is seriously deficient in provitamin A (β-carotene) and in the bioavailability of iron and zinc. Biofortification is a process to improve crops for one or more micronutrient deficiencies. We have developed sorghum with increased β-carotene accumulation that will alleviate vitamin A deficiency among people who rely on sorghum as their dietary staple. However, subsequent β-carotene instability during storage negatively affects the full utilization of this essential micronutrient. We determined that oxidation is the main factor causing β-carotene degradation under ambient conditions. We further demonstrated that coexpression of homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase (HGGT), stacked with carotenoid biosynthesis genes, can mitigate β-carotene oxidative degradation, resulting in increased β-carotene accumulation and stability. A kinetic study of β-carotene degradation showed that the half-life of β-carotene is extended from less than 4 wk to 10 wk on average with HGGT coexpression.