ZeaLuteinâ : Biological Effects

The inverse association between high intakes of carotenoid-rich foods, leafy vegetables and fruits, and the occurrence of chronic disease conditions such as macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease, and cancer is the subject of numerous epidemiological studies.1-4

Although the specific role of lutein and other carotenoids in reducing the incidence of these conditions in humans is not clear, their antioxidant action is believed to be a probable mechanism.4

The other mechanisms include modulation of the immune function 5-9, increase in gap-junctional communication 10-12, and or regulation of immunity and carcinogenesis by modulating gene expression13.


References

  1. Burri, B.J. (1997) b-Carotene and human health: a review of current research. Nutr. Res., 17, 547-580.
  2. Ziegler, R.G. (1989) A review of epidemiologic evidence that carotenoids reduce the risk of cancer.  J.  Nutr., 119, 116-122.
  3. Snodderly, D.M. (1995) Evidence for protection against age-related macular degeneration by carotenoids and antioxidant vitamins. Am J. Clin. Nutr., 62 Suppl., 1448s-1461s.
  4. Byers, T. and Perry G. (1992) Dietary carotenes, vitamin C and vitamin E as protective antioxidants in human cancers. Annu. Rev. Nutr., 12, 139-159.
  5. Chew, B.P., Wong, M.W., and Wong, T.S. (1995) Effects of dietary b-carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin on lymphocyte function in mice (abstr.) FASEB J., 9, A441.
  6. Chew, B.P. (1993) Role of carotenoids in the immune response. J. Dairy Sci., 76, 2804-2811.
  7.  Jyonouchi, H., Zhang, L., and Tomita, Y. (1993) Studies of immunomodulating actions of carotenoids. II. Astaxanthin enhances in vitro antibody production to T-dependent antigens without facilitating polyclonal B-cell activation. Nutr. Cancer., 269-280.
  8.  Jyonouchi, H., Sun, S., and Gross, M. (1995) Effect of carotenoids on in vitro immunoglobin production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: astaxanthin, a carotenoid without vitamin A activity, enhances in vitro immunoglobulin production in response to a T-dependent stimulant and antigen. Nutr. Cancer, 23(1), 171-183.
  9. Bertram, J.S. and Bortkiewicz, H. (1995) Dietary carotenoids inhibit neoplastic transformation and modulate gene expression in mouse and human cells. Am. J. Ckin. Nutr., 62 Suppl., 1327s-1336s.
  10. Zhang, L-X, Cooney, R.V., and Bertram, J.S. (1991) Carotenoids enhance gap junctional communication and inhibit lipid peroxidation in C3H/10T/2 cells: relationship to their cancer chemopreventive action. Carcinogenesis, 12, 2109-2114.
  11. Zhang, L-X, Cooney, R.V., and Bertram, J.S. (1991) Carotenoids up-regulate connexin 43 gene expression independent of their provitamin A or antioxidant properties. Cancer Res., 52, 5707-5712.
  12. Park, J.S., Chew, B.P., Wong, T.S., Zhang, J., and Magnuson, N.S. (1999) Dietary lutein but not astaxanthin or b-carotene increases pim-1 gene expression in murine lymphocytes. Nutr. Cancer, 33(2), 206-212.
  13. Edge, R., McGarvey, D.J., and Truscott, T.G. (1997) New trends in photobiology (invited review).  The carotenoids as antioxidants-a review. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B: Biol., 41, 189-200.

 

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