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Food Research International (Ottawa,... Jul 2019Nanotechnology has become an option for the encapsulation of compounds, such as carotenoids. However, for the incorporation in to food, it is necessary to develop...
Nanotechnology has become an option for the encapsulation of compounds, such as carotenoids. However, for the incorporation in to food, it is necessary to develop nanometric systems that are stable under the different conditions to which the food is submitted during its production, transport, and storage. Thus, with the intent to develop a stable nanoemulsion formulation for food application, the physical and chemical stability of β-carotene nanoemulsions after thermal treatments and storage under different conditions, were investigated in this work. The β-carotene nanoemulsions were formulated with corn oil, by applying high-pressure homogenization, with an average size in the 300 nm range, which is within the appropriate scale for industrial preparations, such as foods and cosmetics. The nanoemulsion droplets had negative charge (more than -25 mV) and monodisperse profile. The sample were pasteurized, sterilized, and stored at 4, 25, and 37 °C in the presence and absence of light for up to 90 days. Following the heat treatments and storage, the nanoemulsions showed no evidence of physical destabilization, retaining 70-80% of the carotenoid after the pasteurization and sterilization processes, and 70% when stored at 4 °C without light, respectively. Overall, our findings provide new information about the physical and chemical stability of β-carotene nanoemulsions during traditional thermal processes and environmental conditions.
Topics: Corn Oil; Emulsions; Hot Temperature; Nanostructures; Nanotechnology; Particle Size; beta Carotene
PubMed: 31108744
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.03.045 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2022Vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids are involved in the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism and inflammation. We examined the effect of dietary supplementation...
Vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids are involved in the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism and inflammation. We examined the effect of dietary supplementation using all-trans and 9-cis β-carotene-rich alga as the sole source of vitamin A on obesity-associated comorbidities and adipose tissue dysfunction in a diet-induced obesity mouse model. Three-week-old male mice (C57BL/6) were randomly allocated into two groups and fed a high-fat, vitamin A-deficient diet supplemented with either vitamin A (HFD) or β-carotene (BC) (HFD-BC). Vitamin A levels in the liver, WATs, and BAT of the HFD-BC group were 1.5-2.4-fold higher than of the HFD group. BC concentrations were 5-6-fold greater in BAT compared to WAT in the HFD-BC group. The eWAT mRNA levels of the and were 1.6- and 2.1-fold lower, respectively, and the plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were 30% and 28% lower in the HFD-BC group compared with the HFD group. Dietary BC can be the exclusive vitamin A source in mice fed a high-fat diet, as shown by the vitamin A concentration in the plasma and tissues. Feeding BC rather than vitamin A reduces adipose tissue macrophage recruitment markers and plasma lipid concentrations.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Chlorophyceae; Diet, High-Fat; Gene Expression; Liver; Macrophages; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Obesity; Triglycerides; Vitamin A; beta Carotene
PubMed: 35877726
DOI: 10.3390/md20070433 -
Nature Communications May 2018The power of synthetic biology has enabled the expression of heterologous pathways in cells, as well as genome-scale synthesis projects. The complexity of biological...
The power of synthetic biology has enabled the expression of heterologous pathways in cells, as well as genome-scale synthesis projects. The complexity of biological networks makes rational de novo design a grand challenge. Introducing features that confer genetic flexibility is a powerful strategy for downstream engineering. Here we develop an in vitro method of DNA library construction based on structural variation to accomplish this goal. The "in vitro SCRaMbLE system" uses Cre recombinase mixed in a test tube with purified DNA encoding multiple loxPsym sites. Using a β-carotene pathway designed for expression in yeast as an example, we demonstrate top-down and bottom-up in vitro SCRaMbLE, enabling optimization of biosynthetic pathway flux via the rearrangement of relevant transcription units. We show that our system provides a straightforward way to correlate phenotype and genotype and is potentially amenable to biochemical optimization in ways that the in vivo system cannot achieve.
Topics: Base Sequence; Chromosomes, Fungal; Clone Cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Gene Library; Genes, Synthetic; Genetic Engineering; Genome, Fungal; Genotype; Integrases; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Phenotype; Plasmids; Recombination, Genetic; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Synthetic Biology; beta Carotene
PubMed: 29789594
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03743-6 -
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) Aug 2022Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has many important biological functions. It plays an important role in regulating the growth, survival, migration, apoptosis,...
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has many important biological functions. It plays an important role in regulating the growth, survival, migration, apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation of intestinal tissues and cells. However, until now, the effect of inflammation on the biological activity of EGF in intestinal cells or tissues is still unclear. For this reason, in the current research, we have conducted a detailed study on this issue. Using the rat small intestinal crypt epithelial cell line (IEC6) was used as an in vitro model, and Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM), Flow cytometry (FCM), Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), Western-blotting (WB), and Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) methods were used to explore the effects of inflammation on EGF/EGFR biological activity and signal transduction profiles. We found that the EGF/EGFR nuclear signal almost disappeared in the inflammatory state, and the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, AKT, and STAT3 were all significantly down-regulated. In addition, we also studied the effect of β-carotene on the biological activity of EGF, and found that when cells were pretreated with β-carotene, the cellular behavior, biological activity, and nuclear signal of EGF/EGFR under inflammation stimulation were partially restored. In summary, the current study shows that inflammation can disrupt EGF/EGFR-mediated signaling in IEC6 cells, suggesting that inflammation negatively regulates the biological activity of EGF/EGFR. Furthermore, we found that β-carotene not only attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation but also partially restored the biological activity of EGF in IEC6 cells, laying a solid foundation for studying the biological functions of EGF and β-carotene.
Topics: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Inflammation; Phosphorylation; Rats; Signal Transduction; beta Carotene
PubMed: 35499499
DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2067676 -
Journal of Zhejiang University....β-Carotene is one of the most abundant natural pigments in foods; however, usage of β-carotene is limited because of its instability. Microencapsulation techniques are...
β-Carotene is one of the most abundant natural pigments in foods; however, usage of β-carotene is limited because of its instability. Microencapsulation techniques are usually applied to protect microencapsulated β-carotene from oxidization. In this study, β-carotene was microencapsulated using different drying processes: spray-drying, spray freeze-drying, coating, and spray granulation. The properties of morphology, particle size, water content, thermal characteristic, and chemical stability have been explored and compared. Scanning electron microscopy measurements showed that the coated powder had a dense surface surrounded by starch and suggested that the coating process gave a microencapsulated powder with the smallest bulk density and the best compressibility among the prepared powders. The chemical stabilities of microcapsules were evaluated during six months of storage at different temperatures. The coated powder had the highest mass fraction of β-carotene, which indicated that the coating process was superior to the three other drying processes.
Topics: Drug Compounding; Drug Stability; Freeze Drying; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Technology, Pharmaceutical; beta Carotene
PubMed: 31595726
DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1900157 -
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry Aug 2021The aim of the present research was to develop green and sustainable extraction procedure for β-carotene recovery from pumpkin. A series of hydrophobic natural deep...
The aim of the present research was to develop green and sustainable extraction procedure for β-carotene recovery from pumpkin. A series of hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) based onfatty acids were prepared to establish high extraction efficiency of β-carotene and to increase stability of extracted carotenoids from the pumpkin. To intensify extraction process, NADES composed of C8 and C10 fatty acids (3:1) was selected and coupled with ultrasound assisted extraction. Response surface methodology and artificial neural network model (ANN) model was adopted to analyze significance of extraction parameters demonstrating high prediction levels of the β-carotene yield, experimentally confirming the maximum β-carotene content of 151.41 µg/mL at the optimal process condition. Extracted carotenoids in the optimal NADES extract have shown high stability during the storing period of 180 days. A switchable-hydrophilicity eutectic solvent system has been introduced as a successful way to recover extracted carotenoids from the NADES solvent. It was capable of precipitating 90% of carotenoids present in the extract. The proposed procedure is simple, easily scalable and has minimal impact on operators and the environment.
Topics: Chemical Fractionation; Cucurbita; Solvents; beta Carotene
PubMed: 34225213
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105638 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2023The aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) into fibrillar aggregates is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. β-carotene and related compounds have been shown...
The aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) into fibrillar aggregates is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. β-carotene and related compounds have been shown to associate with amyloid aggregates and have direct impact on the formation of amyloid fibrils. However, the precise effect of β-carotene on the structure of amyloid aggregates is not known, which poses a limitation towards developing it as a potential AD therapeutic. In this report, we use nanoscale AFM-IR spectroscopy to probe the structure of Aβ oligomers and fibrils at the single aggregate level and demonstrate that the main effect of β-carotene towards modulating Aβ aggregation is not to inhibit fibril formation but to alter the secondary structure of the fibrils and promote fibrils that lack the characteristic ordered beta structure.
Topics: Humans; Amyloid beta-Peptides; beta Carotene; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid; Protein Structure, Secondary; Peptide Fragments
PubMed: 36982248
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065175 -
Molecular Metabolism Dec 2022The β-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1) is the enzyme responsible for the cleavage of β-carotene to retinal, the first intermediate in vitamin A formation. Preclinical...
OBJECTIVE
The β-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1) is the enzyme responsible for the cleavage of β-carotene to retinal, the first intermediate in vitamin A formation. Preclinical studies suggest that BCO1 expression is required for dietary β-carotene to affect lipid metabolism. The goal of this study was to generate a gene therapy strategy that over-expresses BCO1 in the adipose tissue and utilizes the β-carotene stored in adipocytes to produce vitamin A and reduce obesity.
METHODS
We generated a novel adipose-tissue-specific, adeno-associated vector to over-express BCO1 (AT-AAV-BCO1) in murine adipocytes. We tested this vector using a unique model to achieve β-carotene accumulation in the adipose tissue, in which Bco1 mice were fed β-carotene. An AT-AAV over-expressing green fluorescent protein was utilized as control. We evaluated the adequate delivery route and optimized cellular and organ specificity, dosage, and exposure of our vectors. We also employed morphometric analyses to evaluate the effect of BCO1 expression in adiposity, as well as HPLC and mass spectrometry to quantify β-carotene and retinoids in tissues, including retinoic acid.
RESULTS
AT-AAV-BCO1 infusions in the adipose tissue of the mice resulted in the production of retinoic acid, a vitamin A metabolite with strong effects on gene regulation. AT-AAV-BCO1 treatment also reduced adipose tissue size and adipocyte area by 35% and 30%, respectively. These effects were sex-specific, highlighting the complexity of vitamin A metabolism in mammals.
CONCLUSIONS
The over-expression of BCO1 through delivery of an AT-AAV-BCO1 leads to the conversion of β-carotene to vitamin A in adipocytes, which subsequently results in reduction of adiposity. These studies highlight for the first time the potential of adipose tissue β-carotene as a target for BCO1 over-expression in the reduction of obesity.
Topics: Male; Female; Animals; Mice; beta Carotene; Vitamin A; Adipocytes; Tretinoin; Obesity; Mammals
PubMed: 36400405
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101640 -
Marine Drugs Nov 2021Biocompatible extraction emerges recently as a means to reduce costs of biotechnology processing of microalgae. In this frame, this study aimed at determining how...
Biocompatible extraction emerges recently as a means to reduce costs of biotechnology processing of microalgae. In this frame, this study aimed at determining how specific culture conditions and the associated cell morphology impact the biocompatibility and the extraction yield of β-carotene from the green microalga using -decane. The results highlight the relationship between the cell disruption yield and cell volume, the circularity and the relative abundance of naturally permeabilized cells. The disruption rate increased with both the cell volume and circularity. This was particularly obvious for volume and circularity exceeding 1500 µm and 0.7, respectively. The extraction of β-carotene was the most biocompatible with small (600 µm) and circular cells (0.7) stressed in photobioreactor (30% of carotenoids recovery with 15% cell disruption). The naturally permeabilized cells were disrupted first; the remaining cells seems to follow a gradual permeabilization process: reversibility (up to 20 s) then irreversibility and cell disruption. This opens new carotenoid production schemes based on growing robust β-carotene enriched cells to ensure biocompatible extraction.
Topics: Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Biotechnology; Microalgae; Photobioreactors; beta Carotene
PubMed: 34822519
DOI: 10.3390/md19110648 -
Journal of Applied Microbiology Jul 2009The microalga Dunaliella salina is the best commercial source of natural beta-carotene. Additionally, different species of Dunaliella can accumulate significant amounts... (Review)
Review
The microalga Dunaliella salina is the best commercial source of natural beta-carotene. Additionally, different species of Dunaliella can accumulate significant amounts of valuable fine chemicals such as carotenoids, glycerol, lipids, vitamins, minerals and proteins. They also have a large potential for biotechnological processes such as expressing of foreign proteins and treatment of wastewater. In this review, we discussed several biotechnological aspects of the mass cultivation of D. salina like strain selection, carotenoid induction, culture conditions, culture systems and downstream processes. We also discuss several traditional and new applications of the genus.
Topics: Animals; Biofuels; Biotechnology; Chlorophyta; Culture Media; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Light; Plant Extracts; Temperature; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Water Purification; beta Carotene
PubMed: 19245408
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04153.x