• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.263-274
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• 2000

Carotenoids are widely distributed natural pigments which are in an increasing demand by the market, due to their applicatins in the human food, animal feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Although more than 600 carotenoids have been identified in nature, only a few are industrially important (${\beta}$-carotene, astaxanthin, lutein or lycopene). To date chemical processes manufacture most of the carotenoid production, but the interest for carotenoids of biological origin is growing since theire is an increased public concern over the safety of artificial food colorants. Although much interest and effort has been devoted to the use of biological sources for industrially important carotenoids, only the production of biological ${\beta}$-carotene and astaxanthin has been reported. Among fungi, several Mucorales strains, particularly Blakeslea trispora, have been used to develop fermentation processes for the production of ${\beta}$-carotene on almost competitive cost-price levels. Similarly, the basidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (the perfect state of Phaffia rhodozyma), has been proposed as a promising source of astaxanthin. This paper focuses on recent findings on the fungal pathways for carotenoid production, especially the structure and function of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of carotenoids in the Mucorales. An outlook of the possibilities of an increased industrial production of carotenoids, based on metabolic engineering of fungi for carotenoid content and composition, is also discussed.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Carotenoids being most important pigments among those occurring in nature, have received increased interest owing to their beneficial effects on human health. An effort is made to review marine carotenoids as important bioactive compounds with reference to their presence, chemical, and biofunctional benefits they afford. The potential beneficial effects of marine carotenoids were particularly focused on astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, major marine carotenoids found in marine animals and aquatic plants, respectively. Both carotenoids show strong antioxidant activity which is attributed to quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. The potential role of the carotenoids as dietary antioxidants has been suggested as being one of the main mechanism by which they afford their beneficial health effects such as anticancer activity and anti-inflammatory effect. Only recently, antiobesity effect and antidiabetic effect have been noted as specific and novel bio-functions of fucoxanthin. Nutrigenomic study reveals that fucoxanthin induces uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) mitochondria to lead to oxidation of fatty acids and heat production in WAT. Fucoxanthin improves insulin resistance and decreases blood glucose level, at least in part, through the down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor $\alpha$ ($TNF{\alpha}$) in WAT of animals.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 2003

Investigations were conducted on the changes in carotenoids content, and quantification of cis-trans-${\beta}$-carotene Isomers in pureed and cooked carrot and spinach during storage. The isomerization and degradation of carotenoids were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography on a C$\_$30/ reversed-phase column with diode-array detection. The results showed that lutein, ail-trans-${\beta}$-carotene, ${\alpha}$-carotene, 9-cis-${\beta}$-carotene and 13-cis-${\beta}$-carotene were present in carrot and spinach. Zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin were present in raw spinach. The contents of lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, ${\alpha}$-carotene and all-trans-${\beta}$-carotene in pureed and cooked carrot and spinach decreased with increasing storage period. The 9-cis and 13-cis carotenoid isomers were the major types formed in cooked carrot during storage. Cooking was not found to alter the carotenoid profile of the sample, but increased the total amount of carotenoids compared with pured ones. This increase could be explained that cooking itself increased the extraction efficiency and inactivated the enzymes degradating carotenoids.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2013

Carotenoids are fat-soluble red-orange colored pigments found in plants and seafood-derived products, including algae, seaweeds, and fish muscle. In this study, we have demonstrated the molecular mechanism underlying the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of ascidian tunic carotenoids using mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7). Cell viability was not affected by treatment of carotenoids < 10 ${\mu}g/mL$. This treatment also showed negative inhibition on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The DPPH radical scavenging activity of carotenoids was 47.2% at 100 mg/mL. It also has a potential reducing power (1.025) comparable with ascorbic acid (1.584). The ascidian tunic carotenoids would make a candidate for the commercially interesting biologically active cosmetic pigments.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1099-1106
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• 1999

Effects of dietary carotenoids were investigated on metabolism of the carotenoids, and body pigmen tation in oily bittering, Acheilognathus koreensis. Two weeks later after depletion,oily bitterings were fed the diets supplemented with either lutein, cynthiaxanthin and astaxathin for 4 weeks. Carotenoids distributed to and metabolized in integument were analyed. The carotenoid isolated from the integument of wild oily bittering, composed of 47.2% zeaxanthin, 11.4% lutein epoxide, 11.0% diatoxanthin, 9.7% lutein and 8.3% zeaxanthin epoxide. Meanwhile, two weeks later after depletion, the carotenoid composed of 29.9% crytoxanthin, 19.3% zeaxanthin, 13.2% lutein epoxide, 12.0% diatoxanthin and 8.8% zeaxanthin epoxide. These indicated that zeaxanthin, diatoxanthin, lutein epoxide and zeaxanthin epoxide were actively metabolized in oily bittering, compared to that of other fresh water fish. Total carotenoid content in the integument of wild oily bittering and oily bittering depleted for two weeks was found to be 1.72mg% and 2.08mg%, respectively. Two weeks later after treatment of experimental diet, total carotenoids content was increased to 2.23mg% in lutein, 2.36mg% in cynthiaxanthin and 2.49mg% in astaxanthin supplemented group, which were relatively higher than 2.10mg% in control group. Meanwhile, 4 weeks later, total ca rotenoids content was decreased to 1.76mg% in control, 1.95mg% in lutein, 1.74mg% in cynthiaxanthin and 1.72mg% in astaxanthin supplemented groups. These result indicate that dietary carotenoids were rapidly accumulated and then metabolized to certain metabolites shortly after feeding. Body pigmentation effects of the carotenoids due to accumulation of carotenoids in the integument of oily bittering was the most effectively shown in the astaxanthin supplemented group, followed by cynthiaxanthin and lutein supplemented groups. In the integument of oily bittering, dietary carotenoids were presumably biotrans formed via either oxidative or reductive pathways as presumed the variation of total carotenoid content and carotenoid composition in all experimental groups. The lutein was oxidized either to astaxanthin via doradexanthin and doradexanthin, or to zeaxanthin epoxide via zeaxanthin by oxidative pathway. Cynthiaxanthin was converted either to diatoxanthin and zeaxanthin by reductive pathway and then to zeaxanthin epoxide by oxidative pathway, or it was converted to astaxanthin via diatoxanthin, zeaxan thin and doradexanthin by oxidative pathway. Astaxanthin was converted to doradexanthin and zeaxanthin by reductive pathway and then to zeaxanthin epoxide by oxidative pathway. These results suggest that, oxidative pathway of carotenoids was major metabolic pathway along with reductive path way in fresh water fish.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1985

The studies on the carotenoids in the viscera the brine shrimp(Penaeus Orientalis Kishinouye) have been carried out. The brine shrimps were caught around the western coastal area of Korea from Aug. to Oct. The individual carotenoids in the acetone extracts were separated and purified by the silica gel TLC. Two isolated carotenoids were investigated and identified by epoxide test, partition test, alkaline hydrolysis, reduction with sodium borohydride and visible absorption spectrophqtometry. As the results of the series of experiments, esterified Astaxanthin was discovered as one of main pigments of Penaeus Orientalis Kishinouye.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.411-419
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• 2022

Carotenoids are red, orange, and yellow fat-soluble pigments that exist in nature, and are known as physiologically active substances with various functions, such as provitamin A, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer. Because of their physiological activity and color availability, carotenoids are widely used in the food, cosmetics, and aquaculture industries. Currently, most carotenoids used industrially use chemical synthesis because of their low production cost, but natural carotenoids are in the spotlight because of their safety and physiologically active effects. However, the production of carotenoids in plants and animals is limited for economic reasons. Carotenoids produced by bacteria have a good advantage in replacing carotenoids produced by chemical synthesis. Since carotenoids produced from bacteria have limited industrial applications due to low productivity, studies are continuously being conducted to increase the production of carotenoids by bacteria. Studies conducted to increase carotenoid production from bacteria include the activity of enzymes in the bacterial carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, the development of mutant strains using physical and chemical mutagens, increasing carotenoid productivity in strain construction through genetic engineering, carotenoid accumulation through stress induction, fermentation medium composition, culture conditions, co-culture with other strains, etc. The aim of this article was to review studies conducted to increase the productivity of carotenoids from bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.272-281
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• 1994

To investigate the effects on pigmentation and carotenoids metabolism of sea bass, Lateolablax japonicus, by supplemented carotenoids, fish were fed the diets each containing ${\beta}$-carotene, lutein ester, astaxanthin, astaxanthin monoester and astaxanthin diester for 8 weeks. Carotenoids in the integuments were analyzed. The important carotenoids in the integuments of sea bass were tunaxanthin and lutein. ${\beta}$-carotene, ${\beta}$-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and ${\beta}$-carotene triol were minor contributors. Differences in the content of ${\beta}$-carotene, tunaxanthin fraction and lutein were observed between the natural and cultured sea bass. The wild sea bass contained higher amounts of tunaxanthin fraction and lutein, but contained lower amounts of ${\beta}$-carotene than cultured sea bass. In cultured sea bass with supplemented carotenoids, carotenoid deposition was higher in order of astaxanthin monoester group, astaxanthin group and astaxanthin diester group. Based on the contents and composition of carotenoids in each group after the feeding the experimental diet, The metabolism of carotenoid in sea bass was presumed to be the reductive metabolic pathways: astaxanthin to tunaxanthin via ${\beta}$-carotene triol, zeaxanthin and lutein.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.276-279
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• 1999

The body color of fish fed were improved to be clearer by feeding the bitterling an artificial diet containing different carotenoids. The possibilities of using the bitterling, Rhodeus uyekii, an aboriginal fish of Korea, were studied by feeding the experimental diets supplemented with the various carotenoids (astaxanthin, lutein, and $\beta$-carotene). Amount of total carotenoids in the groups of fish fed by supplementation carotenoids were relatively higher than the control group of fish fed by no supplementation carotenoids. Especially, the group of fish fed by lutein supplementation diet showed most clarity in body color. The group of fish fed by astaxanthin supplementation diet showed the highest growth while the group of fish fed by lutein or $\beta$-carotene supplementation diet showed no significant different comparing to the control group of fish. The results from this study indicated that the bitterling could be a new ornamental fish as long as provided with the proper diet and culture condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.492-500
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• 1999

The aim of this study was to assess the association between total vitamin A, retinol and carotene intakes and serum concentration of total carotenoids in Korean male smokers and nonsmokers. Food frequency and nutrient intakes of 64 healthy college students were estimated by the 24 hour recall method and food frequency questionnaire and analyzed by smoking status. Serum total cartenoids and lipid profiles were measured in 28 smokers and 36 nonsmokers. The mean total vitamin A, retinol and carotene intakes of smokers were not significantly different from nonsmokers. However, carotene intakes of the smokers who have smoked more than 5 packyears were significantly lower than those of nonsmokers. Smokers consumed green yellow leafy vegetables more often(P=0.005) and fresh fruits less often(P=0.017) than nonsmokers. The serum total carotenoids of smokers consuming the same amount of retinol and carotene as nonsmokers, 1.79 g/ml, were 17% lower than nonsmokers, 2.15 g/ml(P<0.05). The lipid profiles including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides of smokers were not significantly different from nonsmokers, however, the concentration of HDL cholesterol of smokers were significantly higher than that of nonsmokers. The serum carotenoids concentration was positively associated with fruit consumption frequency in smokers, and also was positively associated with green yellow leafy vegetable consumption frequency in non smokers. There were no correlations between dietary and serum carotenoids for smokers as well as nonsmokers. It was concluded that smoking could be inversely related to the serum concentration of carotenoids at constant carotene intakes and smokers might require more carotene to reach the same concentration comparable to nonsmokers.