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Dietary Carotenoids for Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 1844

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
2. Departamento de Metabolismo y Nutrición, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición (ICTAN-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: carotenoids; biochemical analysis; nutritional status assessment; nutrients; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Metabolismo y Nutrición, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición (ICTAN-CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: carotenoids in the context of diet and health/disease; fat-soluble vitamins; bioavailability; biomarkers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCDs) remain a global concern, driven by persistent inflammation and poor dietary habits. Recent research has highlighted the significant role of carotenoids, fat-soluble pigments found in a wide variety of plants but also in animals, algae, fungi, and bacteria, in mitigating several NTCDs, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. The most significant aspects of carotenoids in the human diet are their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and provitamin A activities. The most researched carotenoids in diets and commonly occurring in the blood are β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and α-carotene, with β-carotene comprising the major portion of provitamin A. Recently, phytoene and phytofluene have also become increasingly significant in the human diet. Additionally, it is important to consider the factors that affect the content in foods and the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of carotenoids as these determine their effectiveness in promoting health. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the importance of carotenoid-rich diets in disease prevention and health promotion. For this Special Issue, authors are encouraged to contribute original research on the bioavailability, mechanisms, and health benefits of dietary carotenoids in human and animal studies, as well as comprehensive reviews and meta-analyses.

Dr. Elena Rodríguez Rodríguez
Dr. Begoña Olmedilla-Alonso
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • carotenoids
  • non-transmissible chronic diseases (NTCDs)
  • nutritional status
  • antioxidant action
  • provitamin A activity
  • inflammation
  • oxidative stress
  • bioaccessibility
  • bioavailability

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1986 KB  
Article
Bioinformatic Insights into the Carotenoids’ Role in Gut Microbiota Dynamics
by Helena R. Rocha, Pedro Ribeiro, Pedro Miguel Rodrigues, Ana M. Gomes, Manuela Pintado and Marta C. Coelho
Nutrients 2026, 18(2), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020330 - 20 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Carotenoids are bioactive pigments with well-established antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, yet their impact on gut microbiota remains poorly understood from a chemical standpoint. This study explores how carotenoid structure and gastrointestinal stability shape microbial responses combining in vitro fermentation with bioinformatic analyses. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Carotenoids are bioactive pigments with well-established antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, yet their impact on gut microbiota remains poorly understood from a chemical standpoint. This study explores how carotenoid structure and gastrointestinal stability shape microbial responses combining in vitro fermentation with bioinformatic analyses. Methods: Individual carotenoids (beta (β)-carotene, lutein, lycopene) and combined carotenoids, as well as algal-derived extracts were subjected to 48 h in vitro fermentation, and microbial composition and activity were assessed through sequencing and computational analysis. Results: β-carotene and lycopene promoted acid-tolerant taxa such as Escherichia-Shigella, whereas lutein, due to its higher polarity, supported more transient fluctuations. Mixtures and algal carotenoids exhibited synergistic effects, sustaining beneficial genera including Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and promoting structured ecological trajectories. Conclusions: These findings provide a chemistry-driven perspective on how carotenoids act as modulators of microbial ecosystems, with direct implications for the formulation of carotenoid-enriched functional foods and dietary interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carotenoids for Human Health)
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22 pages, 994 KB  
Article
Exploring the Neuroprotective Properties of Capsanthin: Antioxidant Defense and Inflammatory Responses
by Ramóna Pap, Edina Pandur, Gergely Jánosa, Adrienn Horváth, Kitti Tamási, Katalin Sipos, Attila Agócs and József Deli
Nutrients 2026, 18(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010018 - 19 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Capsanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid from Capsicum species with an extended conjugated polyene chain that underlies both its orange–red color and strong antioxidant potential. In this study, we investigated whether capsanthin protects RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuron-like cells against glutamate-induced stress. Methods: Neuronal dysfunction [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Capsanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid from Capsicum species with an extended conjugated polyene chain that underlies both its orange–red color and strong antioxidant potential. In this study, we investigated whether capsanthin protects RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y neuron-like cells against glutamate-induced stress. Methods: Neuronal dysfunction was induced by glutamate exposure, and capsanthin treatment was evaluated using cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, antioxidant defense markers, inflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial energy status, and apoptosis-related endpoints. Antioxidant responses were assessed using superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and total antioxidant capacity. Cytokine release (TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, IL-4, IL-10) was quantified by ELISA. Mitochondrial function was monitored using ATP content. Apoptosis-associated genes (BAX, BCL-2, CASP3, and CASP9) were analyzed using SYBR Green-based RT-qPCR, complemented by caspase-9 ELISA and caspase-3 Western blotting. Results: Glutamate increased oxidative stress and shifted the cytokine profile toward a pro-inflammatory state, accompanied by reduced ATP levels and a pro-apoptotic transcriptional pattern. Capsanthin significantly attenuated glutamate-induced ROS production, stabilized antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant capacity, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines while supporting anti-inflammatory signaling, and preserved ATP levels. Conclusions: Overall, capsanthin mitigated excitotoxic stress by maintaining redox balance, limiting inflammatory responses, and protecting mitochondrial energy metabolism in neuron-like cells, supporting its potential as a neuroprotective candidate for glutamate-induced neuronal stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carotenoids for Human Health)
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Review

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16 pages, 1256 KB  
Review
Bacterioruberin (C50 Carotenoid): Nutritional and Biomedical Potential of a Microbial Pigment
by Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa
Nutrients 2025, 17(24), 3899; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243899 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 493
Abstract
Haloarchaea are moderate and extreme halophilic microorganisms inhabiting hypersaline environments characterised by high ionic and oxidative stress due to extremely high salt concentrations and high incidence of UV radiation (mainly in spring and summer). To be alive and metabolically active under these harsh [...] Read more.
Haloarchaea are moderate and extreme halophilic microorganisms inhabiting hypersaline environments characterised by high ionic and oxidative stress due to extremely high salt concentrations and high incidence of UV radiation (mainly in spring and summer). To be alive and metabolically active under these harsh conditions, haloarchaeal strains have developed molecular adaptations, like hyperpigmentation. Among the carotenoids produced by haloarchaeal species, the C50 carotenoid called bacterioruberin (BR) and its derivatives, monoanhydrobacterioruberin and bisanhydrobacterioruberin, are the predominant natural pigments produced. This review aims to highlight the most significant characteristics of BR and their derivatives, as well as a description of the biological activities already reported that could provide benefits for human health, including antitumoral, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, skin protectant, antilipidemic, antiglycemic, and anti-atrophic effects, in addition to showing potential positive effects on sperm cells cryopreservation. Overall, C50 carotenoids are fascinating natural biomolecules that could be utilised in processed food and nutraceuticals or as tools in the context of new strategies and/or pharmaceutical formulations to combat various human diseases or metabolic disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carotenoids for Human Health)
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