scholarly journals β-carotene in Obesity Research: Technical Considerations and Current Status of the Field

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johana Coronel ◽  
Ivan Pinos ◽  
Jaume Amengual
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Physiological Relevance ◽  
Adipose Tissue Development ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity ◽  
Β Carotene

Over the past decades, obesity has become a rising health problem as the accessibility to high calorie, low nutritional value food has increased. Research shows that some bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, such as carotenoids, could contribute to the prevention and treatment of obesity. Some of these carotenoids are responsible for vitamin A production, a hormone-like vitamin with pleiotropic effects in mammals. Among these effects, vitamin A is a potent regulator of adipose tissue development, and is therefore important for obesity. This review focuses on the role of the provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene in human health, emphasizing the mechanisms by which this compound and its derivatives regulate adipocyte biology. It also discusses the physiological relevance of carotenoid accumulation, the implication of the carotenoid-cleaving enzymes, and the technical difficulties and considerations researchers must take when working with these bioactive molecules. Thanks to the broad spectrum of functions carotenoids have in modern nutrition and health, it is necessary to understand their benefits regarding to metabolic diseases such as obesity in order to evaluate their applicability to the medical and pharmaceutical fields.

scholarly journals CMO1 Deficiency Abolishes Vitamin A Production from β-Carotene and Alters Lipid Metabolism in Mice

2007 ◽  
Vol 282 (46) ◽  
pp. 33553-33561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Hessel ◽  
Anne Eichinger ◽  
Andrea Isken ◽  
Jaume Amengual ◽  
Silke Hunzelmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Mouse Mutant ◽  
Adipose Tissues ◽  
Β Carotene

Carotenoids are currently investigated regarding their potential to lower the risk of chronic disease and to combat vitamin A deficiency in humans. These plant-derived compounds must be cleaved and metabolically converted by intrinsic carotenoid oxygenases to support the panoply of vitamin A-dependent physiological processes. Two different carotenoid-cleaving enzymes were identified in mammals, the classical carotenoid-15,15′-oxygenase (CMO1) and a putative carotenoid-9′,10′-oxygenase (CMO2). To analyze the role of CMO1 in mammalian physiology, here we disrupted the corresponding gene by targeted homologous recombination in mice. On a diet providing β-carotene as major vitamin A precursor, vitamin A levels fell dramatically in several tissues examined. Instead, this mouse mutant accumulated the provitamin in large quantities (e.g. as seen by an orange coloring of adipose tissues). Besides impairments in β-carotene metabolism, CMO1 deficiency more generally interfered with lipid homeostasis. Even on a vitamin A-sufficient chow, CMO1-/- mice developed a fatty liver and displayed altered serum lipid levels with elevated serum unesterified fatty acids. Additionally, this mouse mutant was more susceptible to high fat diet-induced impairments in fatty acid metabolism. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-regulated marker genes related to adipogenesis was elevated in visceral adipose tissues. Thus, our study identifies CMO1 as the key enzyme for vitamin A production and provides evidence for a role of carotenoids as more general regulators of lipid metabolism.

scholarly journals Increased vitamin A intake in children aged 2–5 years through targeted home-gardens in a rural South African community

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mieke Faber ◽  
Sonja L Venter ◽  
AJ Spinnler Benadé
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
South African ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Home Based ◽  
African Community ◽  
Production Programme ◽  
One Year ◽  
Β Carotene

AbstractObjectives:To determine vitamin A intake of children aged 2–5 years in a rural South African community one year after the implementation of a home-based food production programme targeting β-carotene-rich fruits and vegetables.Design:Dietary intake of children aged 2–5 years was determined during a cross-sectional survey before and one year after the implementation of a home-based food production programme.Setting:A low socio-economic rural African community, approximately 60 km north-west of the coastal city of Durban in kwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Subjects:Children aged 2–5 years (n=100); 50 children from households with home-gardens producing β-carotene fruits and vegetables (project gardens), and 50 children from households without project gardens.Results:As compared with baseline data, there was a significant increase in vitamin A intake in children from households with project gardens as well as in children from households without project gardens. However, children from households with project gardens had a significantly higher vitamin A intake than children from households without project gardens. The increased vitamin A intake in those children from households without project gardens can be attributed to the availability of butternuts in the local shop (as a result of the project), and because the mothers negotiated with project garden mothers to obtain these fruits and vegetables for their children.Conclusion:A home-based food production programme targeting β-carotene-rich fruits and vegetables can lead to an increase in vitamin A intake.

A Study on the Etiological Factors of Bilharzial Bladder Cancer in Egypt: 4. β-Carotene and Vitamin a Level in Serum

1982 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelbaset Anvver El-Aaser ◽  
Mahmoud Mohamed El-Merzabani ◽  
K.A. Abdel-Reheem ◽  
B.M. Hamza
Keyword(s):  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Transitional Cell ◽  
Normal Male ◽  
Tumor Type ◽  
Male Subjects ◽  
Β Carotene

The possible role of vitamin A in the pathogenesis of bilharzial bladder cancer among Egyptians, particularly as it relates to the histopathologic tumor type, was investigated. Bilharzial patients and bladder cancer patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the most prevalent type in Egypt, showed significantly lower levels of vitamin A than normal male subjects. In contrast, bladder cancer patients with transitional cell carcinoma had levels that were not significantly different from normal male subjects. The possible role of vitamin A in the etiology of bilharzial bladder cancer is discussed.

Antioxidant Role of Plasma Carotenoids in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Preterm Infants

2009 ◽  
Vol 79 (56) ◽  
pp. 288-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelies Vogelsang ◽  
Richard A. van Lingen ◽  
Janine Slootstra ◽  
Bert D. Dikkeschei ◽  
Boudewijn J. Kollen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Antioxidant Defenses ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cholesterol Ratio ◽  
Β Carotene

Objectives: Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and consequently, it might be theorized that sufficient antioxidant defenses are needed to prevent BPD. We hypothesized that, except for vitamins E and A, carotenoids may be important in this defense. Carotenoids are present in human milk; however, they are not added to parenteral nutrition, the main food source of preterm infants in the first week of life. Aim: To evaluate prospectively the role of carotenoids in BPD in a cohort of preterm infants. Methods: The plasma concentrations of F2α-isoprostane, α- and β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, vitamin A, and the vitamin E/cholesterol ratio were studied at days 1, 3, and 7 in a cohort of 109 preterm infants, of whom 19 had BPD. Results: When comparing the BPD and control group, infants in the BPD group were younger (p<0.001) and β-carotene (day 7, p<0.01) and vitamin A concentrations were lower (days 3 and 7, p<0.001). Lycopene, lutein, α-carotene, vitamin E, and F2α-isoprostane concentrations did not differ between groups. Conclusions: Plasma β-carotene and vitamin A concentrations are lower in BPD infants which may result in a reduction of their antioxidant protection.

scholarly journals The Role of Beta-carotene Metabolism in Maternal Cardiac Remodeling: Findings in Mice Lacking Beta-carotene 9′,10′-oxygenase (BCO2) (FS06-04-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsee Holloway ◽  
You-Kyung Kim ◽  
Loredana Quadro
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Beta Carotene ◽  
Regulatory Genes ◽  
Chow Diet ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Β Carotene

Abstract Objectives High intake of fruits and vegetables, main vitamin A sources, is associated with improved cardiac function. β-carotene, the most abundant dietary precursor of vitamin A, is cleaved by β-carotene 15,15′-oxygenase (BCO1) and β-carotene 9′,10′-oxygenase (BCO2). However, BCO2 is the only β-carotene cleavage enzyme expressed in adult hearts. Cardiac mRNA levels of Bco2 are elevated at mid-gestation in wild-type (WT) mice when the heart is hypertrophic. In the absence of BCO2 (Bco2-/- mice) the maternal heart fails to enlarge. Therefore, we aim to elucidate the role of BCO2 in maternal cardiac hypertrophy and to determine if metabolic pathways in the heart are disrupted by loss of BCO2. We hypothesize that BCO2 contributes to maternal cardiac hypertrophy by affecting homeostasis of RA, the active form of vitamin A. Methods Age matched WT and Bco2-/- (KO) mice raised on a chow diet were sacrificed at 14.5 days pregnant. Cardiac mRNA and protein expression of retinoid and lipid regulatory genes were measured. HPLC and LC/MS detected cardiac retinoids (vitamin A and its derivatives) levels. Results Pregnancy (mid-gestation) is associated with cardiac RA deficiency in WT dams. KO mice already showed cardiac RA deficiency pre-pregnancy. KO female mice have reduced PDK4 mRNA expression and enhanced PDH activity (phosphorylation) in the heart, that is reversed earlier, at mid-gestation. KO mice have increased cardiac Glut1 mRNA expression and reduced triglyceride levels. Lipid regulatory genes such as Pgc1a and Scd1 are increased at mid-pregnancy in the heart of WT dams but not in KO mothers. Conclusions Our data indicates that RA may be involved in modulating the cardiac hypertrophy of pregnancy. Dysregulation of RA homeostasis in the heart of KO females results in metabolic adaptations that makes the heart of the non-pregnant females preferentially dependent on glucose as an energy source. During pregnancy retinoic deficiency in the KO heart may induce an earlier attenuation of PDH activity, facilitating utilization of fat over glucose as energy substrate. These and other findings support the hypothesis of a crucial role of BCO2 in regulating heart hypertrophy, at least in females. Funding Sources NIH/NHLBI F31.

scholarly journals Curcumin, Quercetin, Catechins and Metabolic Diseases: The Role of Gut Microbiota

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umair Shabbir ◽  
Momna Rubab ◽  
Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri ◽  
Ramachandran Chelliah ◽  
Ahsan Javed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Gut Health ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Metabolic Reactions ◽  
Obesity Hypertension

Polyphenols (PPs) are the naturally occurring bioactive components in fruits and vegetables, and they are the most abundant antioxidant in the human diet. Studies are suggesting that ingestion of PPs might be helpful to ameliorate metabolic syndromes that may contribute in the prevention of several chronic disorders like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and colon cancer. PPs have structural diversity which impacts their bioavailability as they accumulate in the large intestine and are extensively metabolized through gut microbiota (GM). Intestinal microbiota transforms PPs into their metabolites to make them bioactive. Interestingly, not only GM act on PPs to metabolize them but PPs also modulate the composition of GM. Thus, change in GM from pathogenic to beneficial ones may be helpful to ameliorate gut health and associated diseases. However, to overcome the low bioavailability of PPs, various approaches have been developed to improve their solubility and transportation through the gut. In this review, we present evidence supporting the structural changes that occur after metabolic reactions in PPs (curcumin, quercetin, and catechins) and their effect on GM composition that leads to improving overall gut health and helping to ameliorate metabolic disorders.

scholarly journals Plant Extracts in Obesity: A Role of Gut Microbiota

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangying Weng ◽  
Yehui Duan ◽  
Yinzhao Zhong ◽  
Bo Song ◽  
Jie Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Leaf Extract ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Mulberry Leaf ◽  
Cortex Moutan ◽  
Prevention And Treatment ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity ◽  
Obesity Syndrome

Obesity has become one of the most serious chronic diseases threatening human health. Its occurrence and development are closely associated with gut microbiota since the disorders of gut microbiota can promote endotoxin production and induce inflammatory response. Recently, numerous plant extracts have been proven to mitigate lipid dysmetabolism and obesity syndrome by regulating the abundance and composition of gut microbiota. In this review, we summarize the potential roles of different plant extracts including mulberry leaf extract, policosanol, cortex moutan, green tea, honokiol, and capsaicin in regulating obesity via gut microbiota. Based on the current findings, plant extracts may be promising agents for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases, and the mechanisms might be associated with gut microbiota.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNAs in regulation of adipogenesis and adipose tissue function

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiziana Squillaro ◽  
Gianfranco Peluso ◽  
Umberto Galderisi ◽  
Giovanni Di Bernardo
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Tissue Development ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Adipose Tissue Development ◽  
And Function

Complex interaction between genetics, epigenetics, environment, and nutrition affect the physiological activities of adipose tissues and their dysfunctions, which lead to several metabolic diseases including obesity or type 2 diabetes. Here, adipogenesis appears to be a process characterized by an intricate network that involves many transcription factors and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate gene expression. LncRNAs are being investigated to determine their contribution to adipose tissue development and function. LncRNAs possess multiple cellular functions, and they regulate chromatin remodeling, along with transcriptional and post-transcriptional events; in this way, they affect gene expression. New investigations have demonstrated the pivotal role of these molecules in modulating white and brown/beige adipogenic tissue development and activity. This review aims to provide an update on the role of lncRNAs in adipogenesis and adipose tissue function to promote identification of new drug targets for treating obesity and related metabolic diseases.

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