Advances in food carotenoid research: contribution of a Brazilian laboratory

Carotenoids are natural pigments, constituents of foods, some of which are precursors of vitamin A. They have been associated with the reduction of the risk for degenerative diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, macular degeneration and cataract, and have been the most investigated bioa...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Rodriguez-Amaya, Delia B.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2004
País:Brasil
Institución:Instituto Adolfo Lutz
Repositorio:Revista do Instituto Adolfo Lutz (Online)
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.periodicos.saude.sp.gov.br:article/34835
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.saude.sp.gov.br/RIAL/article/view/34835
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:carotenoids
analysis
composition
fruits
vegetables
processing
carotenóides
análise
composição
frutas
vegetais
processamento
Descripción
Sumario:Carotenoids are natural pigments, constituents of foods, some of which are precursors of vitamin A. They have been associated with the reduction of the risk for degenerative diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, macular degeneration and cataract, and have been the most investigated bioactive compounds.Our studies have been significantly contributing to advances in this field in different aspects. Our internationally well-known scientific contributions can be classified into the following categories: (a)evaluation, optimization and development of analytical methods; (b) determination of the carotenoid composition in Brazilian foods, which resulted in an extensive and reliable database; (c) investigation ofthe factors that influence carotenoid composition in foods; (d) evaluation of the effects of food processing and storage on carotenoids; (e) study of carotenoid stability, including kinetics and mechanisms of degradation, and the use of microencapsulation ; (f) characterization of alternative sources of carotenoids such as flowers, yeasts, cyanobacteria and microalgae. Our investigations have been internationally regarded as the most integrated and complete research in this area.