β-Carotene is a red-orange terpene pigment originally found in various plants and fruits; it is a prodrug for vitamin A. β-Carotene exhibits antioxidative, cytoprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-obesity activities. β-Carotene is used in research models to quantify antioxidative activity. In bone marrow cells, β-carotene protects against radioactive isotope-induced DNA damage. In breast cancer cells, this compound induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, decreasing cellular viability. β-Carotene decreases total cholesterol, VLDL and LDL levels, suppresses expression of SREBP2 and LDL-R, and increases expression of PPARα in vivo. In other animal models, this compound decreases body fat and adipocyte size and suppresses TNF-α-induced inflammation.
Abdel-Mageed WM, Bayoumi SA, Salama AA, et al. Antioxidant lipoxygenase inhibitors from the leaf extracts of Simmondsia chinensis. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2014 Sep;7S1:S521-6. PMID: 25312177.
Berti AP, Düsman E, Mariucci RG, et al. Antimutagenic and radioprotective activities of beta-carotene against the biological effects of iodine-131 radiopharmaceutical in Wistar rats. Genet Mol Res. 2014 Mar 31;13(1):2248-58. PMID: 24737473.
Gloria NF, Soares N, Brand C, et al. Lycopene and beta-carotene induce cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. Anticancer Res. 2014 Mar;34(3):1377-86. PMID: 24596385.
Silva LS, de Miranda AM, de Brito Magalhães CL, et al. Diet supplementation with beta-carotene improves the serum lipid profile in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. J Physiol Biochem. 2013 Dec;69(4):811-20. PMID: 23645541.
Di Tomo P, Canali R, Ciavardelli D, et al. β-Carotene and lycopene affect endothelial response to TNF-α reducing nitro-oxidative stress and interaction with monocytes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012 Feb;56(2):217-27. PMID: 22162208.
Amengual J, Gouranton E, van Helden YG, et al. Beta-carotene reduces body adiposity of mice via BCMO1. PLoS One. 2011;6(6):e20644. PMID: 21673813.
