Carotenoids in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention - Abstract
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed society. Since oxidative stress and inflammation are key players in the etiology of CVD, it is conceivable that natural antioxidants such as carotenoids, existing in fruits and vegetables, may help in preventing the CVD onset.
More than 700 carotenoids have been identified, among them ?-carotene, ?-carotene, ?-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin are the major dietary carotenoids with antioxidant properties likely linked to the ability in scavenging free radicals such as lipid peroxyl radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO).
Increased ROS generation has been associated with a functional inactivation of NO due to the reaction with superoxide anione (O2 -), leading to peroxynitrite (ONOO- ) formation and subsequent reduction in vascular NO bioavailability that characterizes the early stage of atherosclerosis.
Carotenoids, at least in part, by directly removing O2 -, have been shown to restore NO endothelial bioavailability. Hence, they may be considered potential anti-oxidant modulators of endothelial response to pro-oxidant/inflammatory stimuli.
More recently, several in vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated that carotenoids are able to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress through the regulation of various cellular functions, thus supporting the epidemiological studies indicating a strong correlation between dietary carotenoid consumption and decreased risk of CVD. However, since human intervention studies are controversial, the in vivo mechanism/s underlying the carotenoid’s cardiovascular protective activities is still little known.
This review aims to outline the current situation of relations between the main dietary carotenoids and prevention of CVD.