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Empirical Formula: C40H56
CAS Number: 7235-40-7
Molecular Weight: 536.87
Beilstein: 1917416
EC Number: 230-636-6
MDL number: MFCD00001556
PubChem Substance ID: 24892702
Beta Carotene is a compound that gives vivid yellow, orange, and red coloring to vegetables.
The body converts Beta Carotene into vitamin A (retinol).
Vitamin A, known as a vital nutrient for vision, plays a critical role in cell growth and in maintaining healthy organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Beta Carotene, which gets its name from the Latin word for carrot, is an antioxidant that is extremely good for your eyes and skin.
APPLICATIONS
Beta-Carotene has been used:
-as standard for quantification of b-carotene using HPLC analysis
-as a standard for the identification and quantification of authentic standards for carotenoid groups
-for standard curve preparation in the measurement of β-carotene production
-for standard curve preparation in nutritive assays.
Additionally, beta carotene has powerful antioxidant properties.
Beta-carotene and vitamin A play a vital part in the reproductive process.
Beta-carotene and vitamin A also help keep skin, eyes, and the immune system healthy.
Beta-carotene and other carotenoids help reduce free radical damage in your body.
Taking beta-carotene supplements can help you get enough vitamin A.
Beta-carotene supplements are considered safe.
Beta-carotene is used as a nutritional supplement and food coloring.
Beta-carotene is most important as the precursor of vitamin A. It also has anti-oxidant properties and may help in preventing cancer and other diseases.
Additionally, Beta-carotene is a naturally occurring substance present in green and yellow fruits and vegetables.
Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body and beta carotene is used as a vitamin supplement to prevent or treat vitamin A deficiency.
Also, Beta-carotene can help prevent or treat reactions to the sun in some specific groups of patients.
Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A.
Beta-carotene turns into vitamin A according to the body’s needs.
Beta-carotene is only present in the plant kingdom.
Vitamin A is also important for night vision.
Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant.
The body can absorb it better after it is cooked in fat.
Beta-Carotene is Effective for
-An inherited disorder marked by sensitivity to light (erythropoietic protoporphyria or EPP)."
Taking beta-carotene by mouth can reduce sensitivity to the sun in people with this condition.
Beta-Carotene is Possibly Effective for
-Breast cancer: Eating more beta-carotene in the diet is linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in high risk, pre-menopausal females.
In people with breast cancer, eating more beta-carotene in the diet is linked to an increased chance of survival.
-Complications after childbirth: Taking beta-carotene by mouth before, during, and after pregnancy might decrease the risk of diarrhea and fever after childbirth.
It also seems to reduce the risk of pregnancy-related death.
-Sunburn: Taking beta-carotene by mouth might decrease sunburn risk in people sensitive to the sun.
REASONS FOR INCREASED NEED
Poor nutrition is a leading cause of beta-carotene and vitamin A deficiency.
These problems can keep you from getting enough vitamin A:
-Lactose intolerance
-Celiac disease (Sprue)
-Cystic fibrosis
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need to take supplements.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before doing this.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BETA-CAROTENE
-Eye Health
Beta carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, or a nutrient that the body readily converts into vitamin A.
Research has found that eating a carotenoid-rich diet, including beta carotene, supports eye health and prevents eye diseases.
Studies have shown that people with high blood levels of carotenoids may reduce their risk of macular degeneration by up to 35 percent.
One Korean study found a strong link between beta carotene intake and reduced risk of macular degeneration in smokers.
Diets rich in carotenoids like beta carotene may help promote eye health and protect against diseases that affect the eyes including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that causes vision loss.
Research has shown that having high blood levels of carotenoids — including beta carotene — may reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration by as much as 35 percent.
Plus, studies have shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables rich in beta carotene may be particularly effective in reducing the risk of AMD in people who smoke.
-Improved Cognitive Function
There is evidence that beta carotene, like other antioxidants, may improve memory and cognitive function.
A review of multiple studies found that long-term beta carotene supplementation had positive effects on cognitive function and memory.
Antioxidants like beta carotene might be very helpful in reducing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.
Beta carotene may improve your cognitive function, according to some studies, due to its antioxidant effects.
A 2018 Cochrane review that included eight studies that focused on antioxidants, including beta carotene, found small benefits associated with beta carotene supplementation on cognitive function and memory.
Keep in mind that the cognitive benefits related to beta carotene were only associated with long-term supplementation over an average of 18 years.
That said, the researchers didn’t find a significant effect in the short term, and they concluded that more research is needed.
The potential benefits of beta carotene supplements on cognitive health needs more research.
However, there’s good evidenceTrusted Source that eating fruits and vegetables in general, including those rich in beta carotene, can decrease the risk of cognitive decline and conditions like dementia.
-Skin Protection
Research has shown that antioxidants, including beta carotene, can help maintain skin health and appearance, and may protect the skin against UV radiation from the sun.
Beta carotene may also help boost your skin’s health.
Again, this is likely due to its antioxidant effects.
A 2012 review reports that getting plenty of antioxidant micronutrients, including beta carotene, can increase the skin’s defenses against UV radiation and helps maintain skin health and appearance.
The researchers note, though, that the sun protection dietary beta carotene provides is considerably lower than using a topical sunscreen.
Studies suggest that high doses of beta-carotene may make people with a particular condition less sensitive to the sun.
People with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a rare genetic condition that causes painful sun sensitivity, as well as liver problems, are often treated with beta-carotene to reduce sun sensitivity.
Under a doctor's care, the dose of beta-carotene is slowly adjusted over a period of weeks, and the person can have more exposure to sunlight.
-Cancer Prevention
Researchers have found that a diet high in beta carotene and other antioxidants may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
-Beta carotene is an antioxidant
Beta carotene, like all carotenoids, is an antioxidant.
An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules; it protects the body from free radicals.
Free radicals damage cells through oxidation.
Eventually, the damage caused by free radicals can cause several chronic illnesses.
Several studies have shown that antioxidants through diet help people’s immune systems, protect against free radicals, and lower the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.
Some studies have suggested that those who consume at least four daily servings of beta carotene rich fruits and/or vegetables have a lower risk of developing cancer or heart disease.
-Beta carotene may slow down cognitive decline
Men who have been taking beta carotene supplements for 15 or more years are considerably less likely to experience cognitive decline than other males, researchers from Harvard Medical School reported in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Oxidative stress is thought to be a key factor in cognitive decline, the researchers explained. Studies have shown that antioxidant supplements may help prevent the deterioration of cognition.
Their study, involving 4,052 men, compared those on beta carotene supplements for an average of 18 years to others who were given placebo.
Over the short-term, they found no difference in cognitive decline risk between the two groups of men, but in the long-term it was clear that beta carotene supplements made a significant difference.
The researchers emphasized that there may have been other factors which contributed to the slower decline in cognitive abilities among the men in the beta carotene group.
-Beta carotene keeps lungs healthy as people age
The BMJ published a report in March 2006 which showed that high blood beta carotene levels compensate for some of the damage to the lungs caused by oxygen free radicals.
They measured the FEV1 of 535 participants and measured their beta carotene blood levels.
FEV1 measures how much air you can breathe out in one go. They found that those with high beta carotene levels had much slower decline in FEV1 measures.
Research into the effect of beta carotene on lung health is mixed.
Vitamin A, which the body creates from beta carotene, helps the lungs work properly.
In addition, people who eat plenty of food that contains beta carotene might have a lower risk for certain kinds of cancer, including lung cancer.
A 2017 study of more than 2,500 people suggested that eating fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids, such as beta carotene, had a protective effect against lung cancer.
That said, studies have not shown that supplements have the same effect as eating fresh vegetables.
In fact, taking beta carotene supplements might actually increase the risk of developing lung cancer for people who smoke.
DESCRIPTION
Beta-Carotene is an organic, strongly coloured red-orange pigment abundant in fungi, plants, and fruits.
Beta-Carotene is a member of the carotenes, which are terpenoids (isoprenoids), synthesized biochemically from eight isoprene units and thus having 40 carbons.
Among the carotenes, Beta-Carotene is distinguished by having beta-rings at both ends of the molecule.
Beta-Carotene is biosynthesized from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate.
In some Mucoralean fungi, Beta-Carotene is a precursor to the synthesis of trisporic acid.
Beta-Carotene is the most common form of carotene in plants.
When Beta-Carotene is used as a food coloring, it has the E number E160a.
The structure of Beta-Carotene was deduced in 1930.
In nature, Beta-Carotene is a precursor (inactive form) to vitamin A via the action of beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase.
Isolation of Beta-Carotene from fruits abundant in carotenoids is commonly done using column chromatography.
Beta-Carotene can also be extracted from the beta-carotene rich algae, Dunaliella salina.
The separation of Beta-Carotene from the mixture of other carotenoids is based on the polarity of a compound.
Beta-Carotene is a non-polar compound, so it is separated with a non-polar solvent such as hexane.
Being highly conjugated, it is deeply colored, and as a hydrocarbon lacking functional groups, Beta-Carotene is very lipophilic.
Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in plants and fruits, especially carrots and colorful vegetables.
The name beta carotene comes from the Greek “beta” and Latin “carota” (carrot).
Beta carotene is the yellow/orange pigment that gives vegetables and fruits their rich colors. H. Wachenroder crystallized beta carotene from carrot roots in 1831, and came up with the name “carotene”.
The human body converts beta carotene into vitamin A (retinol) – beta carotene is a precursor of vitamin A.
We need vitamin A for healthy skin and mucus membranes, our immune system, and good eye health and vision.
Beta carotene in itself is not an essential nutrient, but vitamin A is.
Beta carotene’s chemical formula – C40H56 – was discovered in 1907.
Vitamin A can be sourced from the food we eat, through beta carotene, for example, or in supplement form.
The advantage of dietary beta carotene is that the body only converts as much as it needs.
Excess vitamin A is toxic.
Toxic vitamin A levels can occur if you consume too many supplements.
Beta-Carotene is a naturally-occurring retinol (vitamin A) precursor obtained from certain fruits and vegetables with potential antineoplastic and chemopreventive activities.
As an anti-oxidant, beta carotene inhibits free-radical damage to DNA.
This agent also induces cell differentiation and apoptosis of some tumor cell types, particularly in early stages of tumorigenesis, and enhances immune system activity by stimulating the release of natural killer cells, lymphocytes, and monocytes.
Beta-carotene is a cyclic carotene obtained by dimerisation of all-trans-retinol.
A strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruit and the most active and important provitamin A carotenoid.
Beta-carotene has a role as a biological pigment, a provitamin A, a plant metabolite, a human metabolite, a mouse metabolite, a cofactor, a ferroptosis inhibitor and an antioxidant.
Beta-carotene is a cyclic carotene and a carotenoid beta-end group.
Beta-carotene, with the molecular formula C40H56, belongs to the group of carotenoids consisting of isoprene units.
The presence of long chains of conjugated double bonds donates beta-carotene with specific colors.
Beta-carotene is the most abundant form of carotenoid and it is a precursor of the vitamin A.
Beta-carotene is composed of two retinyl groups.
Additionally, Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that can be found in yellow, orange and green leafy vegetables and fruits.
Under the FDA, beta-carotene is considered as a generally recognized as safe substance (GRAS).
Beta-carotene is a substance found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables and in dark green, leafy vegetables.
The body can make vitamin A from beta carotene.
Beta carotene is being studied in the prevention of some types of cancer.
Beta-carotene is a type of antioxidant.
PROPERTIES
The absorption of beta carotene is facilitated by dietary fats and bile salts in the small intestine.
Around 10% to 90% of the total dietary beta carotene is thought to be absorbed in the gut, with absorption decreasing, the higher the intake is.
Low fat diets also reduce the amount of beta carotene absorbed.
Smokers have a low blood level of beta carotene, as do individuals with a high alcohol intake and those with HIV infection.
People with impaired fat absorption from diet due to conditions such as jaundice, liver cirrhosis and cystic fibrosis also have a low blood level of beta carotene. Beta carotene is excreted in the feces and sweat.
Provitamin A activity
Plant carotenoids are the primary dietary source of provitamin A worldwide, with Beta-Carotene as the best-known provitamin A carotenoid.
Others include α-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin.
Carotenoid absorption is restricted to the duodenum of the small intestine One molecule of Beta-Carotene can be cleaved by the intestinal enzyme β,β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase into two molecules of vitamin A.
Absorption, metabolism and excretion
As part of the digestive process, food-sourced carotenoids must be separated from plant cells and incorporated into lipid-containing micelles to be bioaccessable to intestinal enterocytes.
If already extracted (or synthetic) and then presented in an oil-filled dietary supplement capsule, there is greater bioavailability compared to that from foods.
At the enterocyte cell wall, Beta-Carotene is taken up by the membrane transporter protein scavenger receptor class B, type 1 (SCARB1).
Absorbed Beta-Carotene is then either incorporated as such into chylomicrons or first converted to retinal and then retinol, bound to retinol binding protein 2, before being incorporated into chylomicrons.
The conversion process consists of one molecule of Beta-Carotene cleaved by the enzyme beta-carotene 15,15'-dioxygenase, which is encoded by the BC01 gene, into two molecules of retinal.
When plasma retinol is in the normal range the gene expression for SCARB1 and BC01 are suppressed, creating a feedback loop that suppresses Beta-Carotene absorption and conversion.
The majority of chylomicrons are taken up by the liver, then secreted into the blood repackaged into low density lipoproteins (LDLs).
From these circulating lipoproteins and the chylmicrons that bypassed the liver, β-carotene is taken into cells via receptor SCARB1.
Human tissues differ in expression of SCARB1, and hence Beta-Carotene content.
Examples expressed as ng/g, wet weight: liver=479, lung=226, prostate=163 and skin=26.
Once taken up by peripheral tissue cells, the major usage of absorbed Beta-Carotene is as a precursor to retinal via symmetric cleavage by the enzyme beta-carotene 15,15'-dioxygenase, which is encoded by the BC01 gene.
A lesser amount is metabolized by the mitochondrial enzyme beta-carotene 9',10'-dioxygenase, which is encoded by the BC02 gene.
The products of this asymmetric cleavage are two beta-ionone molecules and rosafluene.
BC02 appears to be involved in preventing excessive accumulation of carotenoids; a BC02 defect in chickens results in yellow skin color due to accumulation in subcutaneous fat.
Dietary sources
The average daily intake of beta-carotene is in the range 2–7 mg, as estimated from a pooled analysis of 500,000 women living in the US, Canada, and some European countries.
Beta-carotene is found in many foods and is sold as a dietary supplement.
Beta-carotene contributes to the orange color of many different fruits and vegetables.
Vietnamese gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) and crude palm oil are particularly rich sources, as are yellow and orange fruits, such as cantaloupe, mangoes, pumpkin, and papayas, and orange root vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes.
The color of beta-carotene is masked by chlorophyll in green leaf vegetables such as spinach, kale, sweet potato leaves, and sweet gourd leaves.
Vietnamese gac and crude palm oil have the highest content of beta-carotene of any known plant sources, 10 times higher than carrots, for example.
However, gac is quite rare and unknown outside its native region of Southeast Asia, and crude palm oil is typically processed to remove the carotenoids before sale to improve the color and clarity.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists high in beta-carotene content.
SIDE EFFECTS
Excess Beta-carotene is predominantly stored in the fat tissues of the body.
The most common side effect of excessive Beta-carotene consumption is carotenodermia, a physically harmless condition that presents as a conspicuous orange skin tint arising from deposition of the carotenoid in the outermost layer of the epidermis.
-Carotenosis
Carotenoderma, also referred to as carotenemia, is a benign and reversible medical condition where an excess of dietary carotenoids results in orange discoloration of the outermost skin layer.
It is associated with a high blood Beta-carotene value.
This can occur after a month or two of consumption of beta-carotene rich foods, such as carrots, carrot juice, tangerine juice, mangos, or in Africa, red palm oil.
Beta-carotene dietary supplements can have the same effect.
The discoloration extends to palms and soles of feet, but not to the white of the eye, which helps distinguish the condition from jaundice.
Carotenodermia is reversible upon cessation of excessive intake.
Consumption of greater than 30 mg/day for a prolonged period has been confirmed as leading to carotenemia.
-No risk for hypervitaminosis A
At the enterocyte cell wall, Beta-carotene is taken up by the membrane transporter protein scavenger receptor class B, type 1 (SCARB1).
Absorbed Beta-carotene is then either incorporated as such into chylomicrons or first converted to retinal and then retinol, bound to retinol binding protein 2, before being incorporated into chylomicrons.
The conversion process consists of one molecule of Beta-carotene cleaved by the enzyme beta-carotene 15,15'-dioxygenase, which is encoded by the BC01 gene, into two molecules of retinal.
When plasma retinol is in the normal range the gene expression for SCARB1 and BC01 are suppressed, creating a feedback loop that suppresses absorption and conversion.
Because of these two mechanisms, high intake will not lead to hypervitaminosis A.
-Drug interactions
Beta-carotene can interact with medication used for lowering cholesterol.
Taking them together can lower the effectiveness of these medications and is considered only a moderate interaction.
Bile acid sequestrants and proton-pump inhibitors can decrease absorption of Beta-carotene.
Consuming alcohol with Beta-carotene can decrease its ability to convert to retinol and could possibly result in hepatotoxicity.
-Beta-carotene and lung cancer in smokers
Chronic high doses of Beta-carotene supplementation increases the probability of lung cancer in smokers.
The effect is specific to supplementation dose as no lung damage has been detected in those who are exposed to cigarette smoke and who ingest a physiologic dose of Beta-carotene (6 mg), in contrast to high pharmacologic dose (30 mg).
Therefore, the oncology from β-carotene is based on both cigarette smoke and high daily doses of Beta-carotene.
Increases in lung cancer may be due to the tendency of β-carotene to oxidize, and may hasten oxidation more than other food colors such as annatto.
A β-carotene breakdown product suspected of causing cancer at high dose is trans-β-apo-8'-carotenal (common apocarotenal), which has been found in one study to be mutagenic and genotoxic in cell cultures which do not respond to β-carotene itself.
Additionally, supplemental, high-dose Beta-carotene may increase the risk of prostate cancer, intracerebral hemorrhage, and cardiovascular and total mortality in people who smoke cigarettes or have a history of high-level exposure to asbestos.
RESEARCH
Medical authorities generally recommend obtaining beta-carotene from food rather than dietary supplements.
Research is insufficient to determine whether a minimum level of beta-carotene consumption is necessary for human health and to identify what problems might arise from insufficient beta-carotene intake.
-Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents the leading cause of irreversible blindness in elderly people.
AMD is an oxidative stress, retinal disease that affects the macula, causing progressive loss of central vision.
Beta-carotene content is confirmed in human retinal pigment epithelium.
Reviews reported mixed results for observational studies, with some reporting that diets higher in Beta-carotene correlated with a decreased risk of AMD whereas other studies reporting no benefits.
Reviews reported that for intervention trials using only Beta-carotene, there was no change to risk of developing AMD.
-Cancer
A meta-analysus concluded that supplementation with Beta-carotene does not appear to decrease the risk of cancer overall, nor specific cancers including: pancreatic, colorectal, prostate, breast, melanoma, or skin cancer generally.
High levels of Beta-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer in current and former smokers.
This is likely because beta-carotene is unstable in cigarette smoke-exposed lungs where it forms oxidized metabolites that can induce carcinogen-bioactivating enzymes.
Results are not clear for thyroid cancer.
In a single, small clinical study published in 1989, natural beta-carotene appeared to reduce premalignant gastric lesions.
-Cataract
A Cochrane review looked at supplementation of Beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, independently and combined, on people to examine differences in risk of cataract, cataract extraction, progression of cataract, and slowing the loss of visual acuity.
These studies found no evidence of any protective effects afforded by Beta-carotene supplementation on preventing and slowing age-related cataract.
A second meta-analysis compiled data from studies that measured diet-derived serum beta-carotene and reported a not statistically significant 10% decrease in cataract risk.
FOODS RICH IN BETA-CAROTENE
Beta carotene is concentrated in fruits and veggies with a red, orange, or yellow color.
However, don’t shy away from dark leafy greens or other green veggies, as they contain a good amount of this antioxidant as well.
Some research has shown that cooked carrots provide more carotenoids than raw carrots.
Adding olive oil can also increase the bioavailability of carotenoids.
Beta carotene is a fat-soluble compound, which is why eating this nutrient with a fat improves its absorption.
The foods highest in beta carotene include:
-dark leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
-sweet potatoes
-carrots
-broccoli
-butternut squash
-cantaloupe
-red and yellow peppers
-apricots
-broccoli
-peas
-romaine lettuce
Beta carotene is also found in herbs and spices such as:
-paprika
-cayenne
-chili
-parsley
-cilantro
-marjoram
-sage
-coriander
SYNONYMS
beta-carotene
7235-40-7
beta Carotene
beta,beta-Carotene
Betacarotene
provitamin A
β-Carotene
all-trans-β-carotene
