Carotenoids are one of the major food micronutrients in human diets and the overall objective of this review is to re-examine the role of carotenoids in human nutrition. We have emphasized the attention on the following carotenoids present in food and human tissues: beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; we have reported the major food sources and dietary intake of these compounds. We have tried to summarize positive and negative effects of food processing, storage, cooking on carotenoid content and carotenoid bioavailability. In particular, we have evidenced the possibility to improve carotenoids bioavailability in accordance with changes and variations of technology procedures.

No abstract

No abstract

Moderate wine consumption is reputed to exert a protective effect against coronary heart disease (CHD). The nature of the protective compounds is unclear and the mechanisms are incompletely understood. We studied whether the nonalcoholic component of wine increases plasma antioxidant capacity measured as total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP), and whether such an effect is associated with the presence of phenolic compounds in plasma. The TRAP and plasma levels of phenolic compounds were measured in 10 healthy subjects after the ingestion of 113 mL of tap water (control) and alcohol-free red and white wine at 1-wk intervals. Both alcohol-free wines possessed an in vitro dose-dependent peroxyl-radical activity, but red wine, with a polyphenol concentration of 363 +/- 48.0 mg/L quercetin equivalent (QE), was 20 times more active (40.0 +/- 0.1 mmol/L) than white wine (1.9 +/- 0.1 mmol/L), which has a polyphenol concentration of 31 +/- 1 mg QE/L. The ingestion of alcohol-free red wine caused significant increases in plasma TRAP values and polyphenol concentrations 50 min after ingestion. Alcohol-free white wine and water had no effects on either of the plasma values. The parallel and prompt increase of antioxidant status and of circulating levels of polyphenols in fasting subjects after bolus ingestion of a moderate amount of alcohol-free red wine suggests that polyphenols are absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract and might be directly involved in the in vivo antioxidant defenses.

The purpose of this double-blind study was to investigate the influence of adding a quercetin-containing supplement to the diet on plasma quercetin status, serum/platelet fatty acid levels and risk factors for heart disease. Healthy men and women with cholesterol levels of 4.0-7.2 mmol/L, consumed four capsules daily of either a quercetin-containing supplement (1.0 g quercetin/d) or rice flour placebo for 28 d. Quercetin intakes were approximately 50-fold greater than the dietary intakes associated with lower coronary heart disease mortality on the basis of epidemiologic studies. Subjects consuming quercetin-containing capsules had plasma quercetin concentrations approximately 23-fold higher than those of subjects consuming the control capsules. Quercetin supplementation did not modify serum total, LDL or HDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels. There were also no alterations of other cardiovascular disease or thrombogenic risk factors, including platelet aggregation, platelet thromboxane B2 production, blood pressure or resting heart rate. Furthermore, there was no effect on the levels of (n-6) or (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in serum or platelet phospholipids. In conclusion, supplementation with quercetin-containing capsules markedly enhanced the plasma quercetin concentration but had no effect on other cardiovascular or thrombogenic risk factors.

No abstract

The content of anthocyanins, flavonols, and carbohydrates of Tropea red onions (Allium cepa L.) was determined by HPLC and HPLC-MS. Cyanidin derivatives constitute >50% of total anthocyanins, but delphinidin and petunidin derivatives, which have not been reported in red onions thus far, were also detected. The flavonoid distribution in the different layers of the bulbs indicates that, after homelike peeling, the edible portion contains 79% of the total content of quercetin 4'-glucoside but only 27% of the anthocyanins. Storage of onions for 6 weeks in different conditions, all of them mimicking home storage habits, resulted in a decrease to 64-73% of total anthocyanins. The same trend was verified for the total antioxidant activity, which was reduced to 29-36%. A decrease in glucose and fructose content correlated with anthocyanin degradation was also observed. Storage at low temperature seems to better preserve the onion anthocyanins.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cationic proportions (K/Ca/Mg) in the nutrient solution on fruit quality (quality attributes and antioxidant content) using a high-pigment, 'Lunarossa', tomato cultivar and a standard tomato cultivar ('Corfù') grown in soilless culture. Treatments were defined by a factorial combination of three nutrient solutions having different cationic proportions and two indeterminately growing round tomato cultivars. A high proportion of K in the nutrient solution increased the quality attributes (fruit dry matter, total soluble solids content) and the lycopene content of tomato fruit, whereas a high proportion of Ca improved tomato fruit yield and reduced the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER). The highest total antioxidant activity was observed in the treatment with a high proportion of Mg in the Lunarossa cultivar. The high-pigment hybrid has provided a higher antioxidant content (lycopene and alpha-tocopherol content) than the commercial hybrid, but it was more susceptible to BER and consequently less productive.