Beta Cryptoxanthin is a carotenoid. In the human body, beta-cryptoxanthin is converted to vitamin A (retinol) and is therefore considered as a pro-vitamin A. To improve vision within hours or days, see Eyesight.
Research, antioxidant
Ann Nutr Metabolism. 2004.
We examined the
susceptibility of LDL to Cu2+ oxidation in young adults before and after a
single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin. 1.3 mg of beta-cryptoxanthin was
administered to 12 apparently healthy young volunteers. Six of the volunteers
received esters, the other six free beta-cryptoxanthin. The plasma concentration
of beta-cryptoxanthin and the susceptibility of LDL to copper-induced oxidation
ex vivo in terms of the duration of lag time were measured before and 12 h after
beta-cryptoxanthin ingestion. A single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin
significantly increased the mean plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentration and the
mean cholesterol adjusted beta-cryptoxanthin concentration by 117 and 133%,
respectively. No effect on the length of lag time was assessed. However, in LDL
isolated from plasma 12 h after beta-cryptoxanthin administration the lengths of
lag time correlated significantly with the plasma beta-cryptoxanthin
concentration and with the cholesterol adjusted beta-cryptoxanthin levels. The
lag time did not differ significantly between volunteers who received esters and
those who received the same dosage as free beta-cryptoxanthin. At both measuring
points, smokers, male volunteers and women using oral contraceptives tended to
exhibit lower beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations and lower cholesterol adjusted
beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations as well as increased LDL oxidizability
compared to nonsmokers and women not using oral contraceptives. A
single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin does not enhance the duration of LDL lag time
ex vivo in healthy young subjects.
Liver benefit
Endocrinology. 2015. Prevention and reversal of lipotoxicity-induced hepatic
insulin resistance and steatohepatitis in mice by an antioxidant carotenoid, β-cryptoxanthin.
Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation promotes macrophages/Kupffer cells
activation, resulting in exacerbation of insulin resistance and progression of
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, few promising treatment
modalities target lipotoxicity-mediated hepatic activation/polarization of
macrophages for NASH. Recent epidemiological surveys showed that serum β-cryptoxanthin,
an antioxidant carotenoid, was inversely associated with the risks of insulin
resistance and liver dysfunction. In the present study, we first showed that β-cryptoxanthin
administration ameliorated hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced obese
mice. Beta cryptoxanthin prevents and reverses insulin resistance and
steatohepatitis, at least in part, through an M2-dominant shift in macrophages/Kupffer
cells in a lipotoxic model of NASH.
Rheumatoid arthritis benefit
Dietary ß-cryptoxanthin and inflammatory
polyarthritis: results from a population-based prospective study
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005
The European Prospective Investigation of Cancer Incidence
(EPIC)-Norfolk study is a population-based, prospective study of >25000
subjects who completed a baseline 7-d diet diary and were followed up to
identify new cases of inflammatory polyarthritis, which was defined as
synovitis that affected joint groups. Dietary carotenoid intakes were
computed from the diet diaries of these subjects, and a nested,
case-control analysis was undertaken to compare carotenoid intake between
case subjects and age- and sex-matched control subjects. Results:
Eighty-eight incident cases of inflammatory polyarthritis that occurred in
the population surveyed were ascertained via the Norfolk Arthritis
Register. The mean daily intakes of zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin were
20% and 40% lower, respectively, in the cases than in the 176 controls,
but there were no significant differences in the intakes of either
lutein
or lycopene. Those subjects in the top one-third of intake of
zeaxanthin
and ß-cryptoxanthin were at a lower risk of developing inflammatory
polyarthritis than were subjects in the lowest one-third. The association
with ß-cryptoxanthin was significant after adjustments were made for total
energy and protein intakes and for cigarette smoking. Conclusion: These
data are consistent with previous evidence showing that a modest increase
in ß-cryptoxanthin intake, equivalent to one glass of freshly squeezed
orange juice per day, is associated with a reduced risk of developing
inflammatory disorders such as
rheumatoid arthritis.