Carotenoids: Considerations for Their Use in Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Nutricosmetics, Supplements, Botanicals, and Novel Foods in the Context of Sustainability, Circular Economy, and Climate Change

Abstract

Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids that are important in food quality and health promotion. There is a need to establish recommended dietary intakes/nutritional reference values for carotenoids. Research on carotenoids in agro-food and health is being propelled by the two multidisciplinary international networks, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Foods Ingredients (IBERCAROT; http://www.cyted.org ) and the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN; http://www.eurocaroten.eu ). In this review, considerations for their safe and sustainable use in products mostly intended for health promotion are provided. Specifically, information about sources, intakes, and factors affecting bioavailability is summarized. Furthermore, their health-promoting actions and importance in public health in relation to the contribution of reducing the risk of diverse ailments are synthesized. Definitions and regulatory and safety information for carotenoid-containing products are provided. Lastly, recent trends in research in the context of sustainable healthy diets are summarized. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 12 is March 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

European Database of Carotenoid Levels in Foods. Factors Affecting Carotenoid Content

“…(2) % retention = carotenoid content (after cooking) per g of original raw food/carotenoid content per g of raw food × 100 (3) Apart from losses of carotenoids during processing, cooking and/or storage other phenomena including geometrical isomerization [213,214] or 5,6-epoxide to 5,8-furanoid rearrangements can take place [31,197]. Given that both kind of isomerizations are accompanied by changes in the light absorption spectra [186], noticeable food color changes as a result of them could be expected in some cases.…”

“…There are many studies indicating that carotenoid-rich diets can have a positive role in human health and contribute to reduce the risk of diseases associated with aging, such as certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, bone, skin or eye disorders and may be beneficial for mental and metabolic health, during pregnancy and early life. In addition to their role as colorants and bioactive compounds with possible positive effects on human health, some carotenoids also have a well-defined role as provitamin A nutrient, being key in combating vitamin A deficiency, especially in areas with low consumption of animal foods [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…Apart from retinoids, carotenoids can also be enzymatically cleaved by humans into apocarotenoids and other derivatives, which are eliciting increasing interest, as they may be involved in biological actions. Given their versatility, carotenoids are importance continues growing in the era of sustainable healthy diets and for the development of innovative products such as novel foods or nutricosmetics, among others [ 2 , 3 , 13 ].…”

Carotenoids in Milk and the Potential for Dairy Based Functional Foods

“…Carotene levels are high in yellow/red fruits and vegetables [30]. Beta-carotene concentrations in pumpkin and carrots are 17-422.6 and 34-182.5 µg/g, respectively [31,34]. Similarly, in carrots, α-carotene levels of 22-106.5 µg/g have been recorded.…”

“…Furthermore, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, phytoene and phytofluene have also been detected in a variety of dietary sources [32]. Green vegetables are known for their particularly high lutein concentration, with concentrations of 44-395 and 48.10-119.38 µg/g for kale and spinach, respectively [33,34]. Carotene levels are high in yellow/red fruits and vegetables [30].…”