The human intestinal microbiota that comprise over 1,000 species thrive in dark and anaerobic environments. They are recognized for the production of diverse low-molecular-weight metabolites crucial to human health and diseases. Carotenoids, low-molecular-weight pigments known for their antioxidative activity, are delivered to humans through oral intake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) undergoing dialysis exhibit a higher mortality rate compared with those with other conditions, primarily due to vascular complications including coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a type of drug for T2D, have reportedly decreased cardiovascular and renal events in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease, irrespective of diabetes presence. Nevertheless, the evidence supporting the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients undergoing dialysis has been limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRNA silencing is a prominent antiviral defense mechanism in plants. When infected with a virus, RNA silencing-deficient plants tend to show exacerbated symptoms along with increased virus accumulation. However, how symptoms are exacerbated is little understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarotenoids are isoprenoid pigments produced typically in plants, algae, and part of bacteria and fungi. Violaxanthin, neoxanthin, and lutein are xanthophylls biosynthesized specifically in land plants and part of algae. Nowadays, it is feasible to produce violaxanthin and lutein in by pathway engineering, whereas there is no report to synthesize neoxanthin in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacteria belonging to the genus Algoriphagus have been isolated from various sources, such as Antarctic sea ice, seawater, and sediment, and some strains are known to produce orange to red pigments. However, the pigment composition and biosynthetic genes have not been fully elucidated. A new red-pigmented Algoriphagus sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMass Spectrom (Tokyo)
November 2023
Carotenoids are tetraterpene pigments that are present in photosynthetic bacteria, some species of archaea and fungi, algae, plants, and animals. Carotenoids are essential pigments in photosynthetic organs along with chlorophylls. Carotenoids also act as photo-protectors, antioxidants, color attractants, and precursors of plant hormones in plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCase Rep Nephrol Dial
August 2023
The patient was a woman in her 60s. She was found to have proteinuria on a health checkup. She did not have any particular subjective symptoms, and no definitive diagnosis was made, despite serological findings indicative of immune abnormalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAstaxanthin (AX), a lipid-soluble pigment belonging to the xanthophyll carotenoids family, has recently garnered significant attention due to its unique physical properties, biochemical attributes, and physiological effects. Originally recognized primarily for its role in imparting the characteristic red-pink color to various organisms, AX is currently experiencing a surge in interest and research. The growing body of literature in this field predominantly focuses on AXs distinctive bioactivities and properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF, a freshwater cyanobacterium, is an edible cyanobacterial strain. We identified two compounds belonging to the oxylipin family that possess UV-absorbing abilities and accumulate in the dried sample of . The compounds, named saclipin A and saclipin B, exhibited strong UV-absorption properties with the absorption maxima at 316 and 319 nm, respectively, and the molar extinction coefficients of 26,454 and 30,555 M cm, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMarine animals display diverse vibrant colors, but the mechanisms underlying their specific coloration remain to be clarified. Blue coloration is known to be achieved through a bathochromic shift of the orange carotenoid astaxanthin (AXT) by the crustacean protein crustacyanin, but other examples have not yet been well investigated. Here, we identified an ependymin (EPD)-related water-soluble blue carotenoprotein responsible for the specific coloration of the marine blue sponge Haliclona sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCapsanthin, capsorubin, cucurbitaxanthin A, and capsanthin 3,6-epoxide, a series of carotenoids specific to the red fruit of paprika (), were produced in pathway-engineered cells. These cells functionally expressed multiple genes for eight carotenogenic enzymes, two of which, paprika capsanthin/capsorubin synthase (CaCCS) and zeaxanthin epoxidase (CaZEP), were designed to be located adjacently. The biosynthesis of these carotenoids, except for capsanthin, was the first successful attempt in .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdministered carotenoid fatty acid esters are thought to be hydrolyzed to their free forms and absorbed into the body, and information on the tissue distribution of carotenoid fatty acid esters has been limited. Fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid, exhibits various health benefits, including anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects. However, fucoxanthin metabolism in mammals remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel carotenoid with a unique 2,6-cyclo-ψ-end group, named roretziaxanthin (), was isolated from the sea squirt as a minor carotenoid along with (3,3')-astaxanthin, alloxanthin, halocynthiaxanthin, mytiloxanthin, mytiloxanthinone, etc. This structure was determined to be 3-hydroxy-1',16'-didehydro-1',2'-dihydro-2',6'-cyclo-β,ψ-carotene-4,4'-dione by UV-VIS, MS, and NMR spectral data. The formation mechanism of roretziaxanthin in the sea squirt was discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDSMZ 1279 was isolated from a hot spring in Kamchatka and was red in color. The major carotenoid present was reported to be 1'-(β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)-3,4,3',4'-tetradehydro-1',2'-dihydro-β,ψ-caroten-2-one after saponification (Burgess et al. 1999, 62, 859-863).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAuthentic samples of many carotenoids are commercially available, but are often too expensive and of insufficient purity. As an alternative, a wide range of carotenoids can be biosynthesized in recombinant Escherichia coli strains. E.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApocarotenoids are carotenoid derivatives in which the polyene chain is cleaved enzymatic or nonenzymatic action. They are found in animal tissues and carotenoid-containing foods. However, limited information on the biological functions of apocarotenoids is available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarotenoids with rare 6-hydroxy-3-keto-ε-end groups, such as piprixanthin, vitixanthin, or cochloxanthin, found in manakin birds or plants, are rare carotenoids with high antioxidant activity. The same chemical structure is found in abscisic acid or blumenol, apocarotenoids found in plants or fungi. In this study, we serendipitously discovered that the promiscuous activity of the β-carotene hydroxylase CrtZ, a diiron-containing membrane protein, can catalyze the formation of 6-hydroxy-3-keto-ε-end by using epoxycarotenoids antheraxanthin or violaxanthin as substrate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOver 800 known carotenoids are synthesized from phytoene or 4,4'-diapophytoene (dehydrosqualene) characterized by three conjugated double bonds. In this paper, we report that carotenoid desaturase CrtN from Staphylococcus aureus and Methylomonas can accept oxidosqualene, which is the precursor for plant- or animal-type triterpenoids, yielding the yellow carotenoid pigments with 8, 9, or 10 conjugated double bonds. The resulting pathway is the second nonnatural route for carotenoid pigments and the first pathway for carotenoid pigments not biosynthesized via (diapo)phytoene.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHumans usually get dietary carotenoids from foods such as green and yellow vegetables and algae. Carotenoids have been reported to effectively reduce the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases. β-Cryptoxanthin, which is an antioxidative carotenoid and a type of provitamin A, is metabolically converted to vitamin A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a form of chronic glomerulonephritis that can cause end-stage renal disease. Recently, tonsillectomy combined with corticosteroid pulse (TSP) has been shown to be effective for achieving clinical remission and favorable renal outcome in patients with IgAN. However, the standard regimen of corticosteroid use in TSP has not been established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarotenoids are natural lipophilic pigments with substantial health benefits. Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activities of carotenoids, especially toward lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses. As such, there are few reports on the evaluation and comparison of the anti-inflammatory activities of carotenoids against inflammation induced by other stimuli.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF, small white morning glory, is an ornamental plant belonging to the family Convolvulaceae, and cultivated worldwide. generates white petals including a pale-yellow colored star-shaped center (flower vein). Its fully opened flowers were known to accumulate trace amounts of carotenoids such as β-carotene.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Certification of seed potato as free of viruses is essential for stable potato production. Among more than 30 virus species infecting potato, potato leafroll virus (PLRV), potato virus S (PVS), potato virus X (PVX), and potato virus Y (PVY) predominate worldwide and should be the targets of a high-throughput detection protocol for seed potato quarantine.
Results: We developed an assay based on one-step real-time multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (mRT-PCR) with melt curve analysis for the four viruses and one internal control, potato elongation factor 1 alpha gene (EF1α).
Carotenoids are used commercially for dietary supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals because of their antioxidant activity. In this study, colored microorganisms were isolated from deep sea sediment that had been collected from Suruga Bay, Shizuoka, Japan. One strain was found to be a pure yellow carotenoid producer, and the strain was identified as sp.
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