Carotenoids are a group of approximately 600 compounds synthesized by photosynthetic organisms. These pigments are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in certain animal products such as eggs and salmon, being responsible for their colorful appearance. The bioactive properties of certain carotenoids in human health are clear, as some of these compounds have antioxidant properties and serve as the only precursors of vitamin A in nature. The aim of this Special Issue entitled "Carotenoids and Human Health" is to provide the scientific community with an updated perspective of this exciting and growing research area. We compiled 19 papers from some of the most prominent scientists in the carotenoid field, including seven literature reviews and 12 original publication, covering topics such as cancer, obesity, vision, cognitive function, and skin health.
Subjects
?-carotene ?-carotene oxygenase 1 ?-cryptoxanthin ?-Cryptoxanthin ?-tocopherol adipocyte adipocytes adipose tissue aging Akkermansia alcoholic fatty liver disease alpha-carotene androgen animal antioxidants astaxanthin beta-carotene beta-cryptoxanthin bioactive compounds bioavailability brain breastfeeding brown adipose tissue browning Caenorhabditis elegans cancer-related cognitive impairment carotene carotenes carotenoid carotenoids case-control study cell culture chronic disease cognition colostrum colourless carotenoids cosmeceuticals eicosapentanoic acid fat reduction food ingredients fucoxanthin full-term mothers functional foods gastric cancer glaucoma gut microbiota H. pylori hippocampus hypertension inflammation intestine Korea lutein lycopene macular pigment mangiferin mango by-products mature milk membrane transporters memory metabolic syndrome microalgae new-born nutraceuticals nutricosmetics nutrition obesity overweight oxidative stress Phaeodactylum tricornutum photoprotection phytoene phytofluene preterm mothers prostate cancer provitamin A public health RAR retinoic acid retinoid retinoids retinol RXR smoking tomato tomato extract transcriptomic analysis vitamin A Vitamin A xanthophylls zeaxanthin Biology, life sciences