Carotenoids in Biological News

Feather color is more than skin deep

... carotenoids have important physiological functions, including ... liver acts as the main site for the synthesis of carotenoids responsible for the birds' coloration, not the ... in the birds' liver and blood, implying that the carotenoids are synthesized in the liver and then travel to ...

Darwin was wrong about the wild origin of the chicken

... leg color is a result of fodder: the more yellow carotenoids there are in the feed, the yellower the legs. ... identified codes for an enzyme that breaks down carotenoids and releases vitamin A. This gene is shut down ... with yellow legs. The consequence is that yellow carotenoids are stored in the skin in these chickens. This ...

New supplement may help slow sight loss in elderly

... and Co-antioxidants in Age-related Maculopathy) containing the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin could help slow down AMD. The supplement also ... study. The latest study showed that intake of high levels of both carotenoids preserved the macular pigments, slowing down the progression from early ...

Study shows Darwin was wrong about the origins of chickens

... called carotenoids. The gene in question codes for an enzyme that degrades carotenoids into a colorless form. White-skinned chickens express this enzyme in skin. ... yellowskinned chickens do not express the enzyme in skin, allowing the carotenoids to accumulate and produce yellow coloring. Interestingly, the gene ...

Measuring the stress of forested areas

... team at the UPV/EHU have shown, the secret to being the most adaptable species lies in accumulating antioxidants, such as vitamin E and special carotenoids (carotenes and xantophylls); precisely the substances that provide colour to plants. On receiving too much light, the VAZ cycle is triggered and the ...

Protein transports nutrients believed to protect against eye disease

... cells from the lining of the retina, which served as a model for how macula cells function. The researchers introduced to these cells three types of carotenoids typically found in eye cells the xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as beta carotene. As expected, the retinal pigment epithelial cells ...

Certain form of tomatoes could be key to prostate cancer prevention

... group fed tomato paste alone had prostate tumors. Before this study, researchers attributed the protective effect of tomatoes to ascorbic acid, carotenoids or phenolic compounds. FruHis may represent a novel type of potential dietary antioxidant, Mossine said. Our ongoing research now focuses on ...

Researchers visualize complex pigment mixtures in living cells

... was distributed more evenly throughout the cell, suggesting that fluorescing phycobilisomes are more prevalent along the outer thylakoids. carotenoids were prevalent in the cell wall and also were present in thylakoids. Two chlorophyll fluorescence components also were resolved: the ...

Old McDonald had a phytochemical

... aspects. First pick for the research were watermelons, Leskovar said. As their very name suggests, melons need lots of water. Also, they contain carotenoids and lycopene antioxidants that protects against cancer and other diseases in humans. Lycopene does not decrease and can actually maintain or even ...

Highlights from the November 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association

... Diet Quality Is Lower in Food Insecure Adults in the Mississippi Delta Neighborhood Deprivation Is Associated with Lower Levels of Serum carotenoids among U.S. Adults Participating in NHANES III Food Security Status and Produce Intake and Behaviors of WIC and Farmers Market Nutrition Program ...

ASU research shows connection between testosterone, dietary antioxidants and bird coloration

... domesticated pet bird originally from Australia. carotenoids are known to play several key roles in birds and ... McGraw and Ardia describe their findings in “Do carotenoids buffer testosterone-induced immunosupression" An ... examined the relationship between testosterone, carotenoids and immune state in 35 male and female zebra ...

How plants avoid feeling the burn

... harmful rays. "We knew that biomolecules called carotenoids participate in this process of photoprotection, ... Institute at Arizona State University. carotenoids act as 'wires' to carry away the extra sunlight ... is not required for photoprotection, but rather, carotenoids in a neutral, or uncharged state, can readily ...

Unique tomatoes tops in disease-fighting antioxidants

... contain. Lycopene belongs to a family of antioxidants called the carotenoids, which give certain fruits and vegetables their distinctive colors. carotenoids are thought to have a number of health benefits, such as reducing the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. ...

Colorful bacteria more dangerous

... molecules help S. aureus defuse damaging molecules that are produced by neutrophils in order to kill the bacteria. When the researchers removed the carotenoids from the bacteria, they became more vulnerable to immune attack. Nizet suggests that drugs that inhibit carotenoid synthesis might be useful for ...

Transport System Smuggles Medicines Into Brain

... Wash., published in the Feb. 16, 2005 issue of the journal Biology Letters. Animals, like birds and fishes, commonly use biochromes like carotenoids to acquire red, orange or yellow coloration, but McGraw and Nogare found that these compounds are not responsible for the red colors found in the ...

ASU researchers finds novel chemistry at work to provide parrot's vibrant red colors

... Wash., published in the Feb. 16, 2005 issue of the journal Biology Letters. Animals, like birds and fishes, commonly use biochromes like carotenoids to acquire red, orange or yellow coloration, but McGraw and Nogare found that these compounds are not responsible for the red colors found in the ...