Antonio J. Meléndez-Martínez

University of Seville | US · Nutrition and Food Science, Toxicology and Legal Medicine

The identification of new functional food constituents is a priority to improve the prognosis and prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, several bacterial and algal phytoene-enriched extracts were obtained, and their potential activity against oxidative damage and their ability to inhibit proliferation and cell migration in several h...

The effect of different cooking methods (boiling, baking, steaming and microwaving) on the colour and texture of carrots, and on carotenoid bioaccessibility, was investigated to identify the more “sustainable cooking” methods.

Phytoene is a colourless carotenoid widely available from dietary sources and a precursor for the synthesis of other carotenoids. Although present at high concentrations across different tissues, phytoene is largely viewed as not having physiological activity. Here, we utilize the model organism C. elegans to show that phytoene is bioactive and has...

Ulva, a genus of green macroalgae commonly known as sea lettuce, has long been recognized for its nutritional benefits for food and feed. As the demand for sustainable food and feed sources continues to grow, so does the interest in alternative, plant-based protein sources. With its abundance along coastal waters and high protein content, Ulva spp....

The role of foods is shifting from focusing on the provision of energy and basic nutrients to also include bioactive compounds that prevent the development of chronic age-related diseases. Microalgae offer a source of nutritional compounds with important health effects, and have the potential for production of health-promoting products, without inc...

The role of foods is shifting from focusing on the provision of energy and basic nutrients to also include bioactive compounds that prevent the development of chronic age-related diseases. Mi-croalgae offer a source of nutritional compounds with important health effects, and have the po-tential for production of health-promoting products, without i...

Carotenoids are ubiquitous and versatile isoprenoid compounds. The intake of foods rich in these pigments is often associated with health benefits, attributable to the provitamin A activity of some of them and different mechanisms. The importance of carotenoids and their derivatives for the production of foods and health-promotion through the diet...

Given their multifaceted roles, carotenoids have garnered significant scientific interest, resulting in a comprehensive and intricate body of literature that occasionally presents conflicting findings concerning the proper characterization, quantification, and bioavailability of these compounds. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the pursuit of no...

The substitution of synthetic food dyes with natural colorants continues to be assiduously pursued. The current list of natural carotenoid colorants consists of plant-derived annatto (bixin and norbixin), paprika (capsanthin and capsorubin), saffron (crocin), tomato and gac fruit lycopene, marigold lutein, and red palm oil (α- and β-carotene), alon...

Flowers have played a significant role in society, focusing on their aesthetic value rather than their food potential. This study's goal was to look into flowering plants for everything from health benefits to other possible applications. This review presents detailed information on 119 species of flowers with agri-food and health relevance. Data w...

Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating the response to immune checkpoint therapy, therefore modulation of the microbiome with bioactive molecules like carotenoids might be a very effective strategy to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This review highlights the bio-functional effect of carotenoids on Gut Microbiota modulation based on...

Carotenoids are a large group of health-promoting compounds used in many industrial sectors, such as foods, feeds, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and colorants. Considering the global population growth and environmental challenges, it is essential to find new sustainable sources of carotenoids beyond those obtained from agriculture. Th...

Background The scientific evidence linking several diseases to human diet has highlighted the beneficial impacts of various natural food components, including carotenoids. The xanthophyll rhodoxanthin is a type of retrocarotenoid that might exert positive health-promoting actions. Scope and approach There is increasing evidence that rhodoxanthin e...

Stimulated by their multifaceted functions and actions, carotenoids have been among the most investigated food components, producing a voluminous, complicated, and sometimes inconsistent literature. This review puts into context developments in the last decade to have a comprehensive current knowledge on these valuable food constituents. Carotenoid...

Shrimp side streams represent an important natural source of astaxanthin. Optimization of the astaxanthin extraction process from shrimp side streams is of great importance for the valorization of crustacean side streams and the development of astaxanthin-related products. The combined and independent effects of two innovative extraction technologi...

The work describes the carotenoid synthesis process by Rhodotorula glutinis P4M422 using an agro-industrial waste as the substrate, seeking a biorefinery platform approach for waste utilization to produce high-value molecules. A culture medium based on goat milk whey (GMW) was optimized via the Taguchi method (L9 array). Four factors (ethanol, carb...

The impact of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and DMSO concentration (0, 30, 50, 100%) on the yield of antioxidants and minerals from Chlorella were investigated. The results showed that PLE increased the antioxidant yield. Water extracted more proteins, while with 100% DMSO more polyphenols, chlorophylls, and carotenoids were obtained. The eff...

An interlaboratory comparison was done for the analysis of carotenoids in freeze-dried mango. The study was performed from July to September 2018. Mango fruit was freeze-dried, homogenized, and packaged under vacuum conditions in portions of 6 g (test sample). Two test samples were sent to the participating laboratories for analysis. Laboratory res...

Carotenoids are isoprenoids widely distributed in foods that have been always part of the diet of humans. Unlike the other so-called food bioactives, some carotenoids can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Furthermore, they are much more versatile as they are relevant in foods not only as sourc...

Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids of great importance in food science and nutrition. These compounds are natural colorants and key to combat vitamin A deficiency, a major global nutritional problem. In addition, carotenoids have health-promoting biological actions that can contribute to reduce the risk of serious diseases, including cancer, car...

Phytoene (PT) and phytofluene (PTF), colorless carotenoids, have largely been ignored in food science studies, food technology, and nutrition. However, they are present in commonly consumed foods and may have health-promotion effects and possible uses as cosmetics. The goal of this study is to assess the most important food sources of PT and PTF an...

This is a compilation of three articles on Dietary intake & food sources of 8 carotenoids and vitamin A in Spain. The individual dietary intake and food sources of eight carotenoids (provitamin A carotenoids: β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin; non-provitamin A carotenoids: lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, phytoene and phytofluene) and vitamin A...

Flowers have been used for centuries in decoration and traditional medicine, and as components of dishes. In this study, carotenoids and phenolics from 125 flowers were determined by liquid chromatography (RRLC and UHPLC). After comparing four different extractants, the carotenoids were extracted with acetone: methanol (2:1), which led to a recover...

In this preliminary study, the effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on the commercial quality (size, weight, soluble solids, firmness and colour), content of carotenoids, phenolics and sugars of black tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) ʽSunchocolaʼ was studied. Two water irrigation treatments were applied: regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) a...

Background Phytoene (PT) and phytofluene (PTF) are rarities within carotenoids as they are colorless. Despite they have been mostly ignored in the past, there is strong evidence that they are major dietary carotenoids readily bioavailable in humans that could be involved in health-promoting biological actions. It is not surprising that they are the...

The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of polyphenolic and isoprenoid compounds and organic acids in the fruit skin + pulp, seeds, and leaves of six new biotypes of Elaeagnus multiflora Thunb., as well as their in vitro biological potency. The polyphenols and isoprenoids were determined with UPLC-PDA-MS/MS (ultra-performance li...

The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution of polyphenolic and isoprenoid compounds and organic acids in the fruit skin + pulp, seeds, and leaves of six new biotypes of Elaeagnus multiflora Thunb., as well as their in vitro biological potency. The polyphenols and isoprenoids were determined with UPLC-PDA-MS/MS (ultra-performance li...

Many studies indicate that diets including carotenoid-rich foods have positive effects on human health. Some of these compounds are precursors of the essential nutrient vitamin A. The present work is aimed at implementing a database of carotenoid contents of foods available in the European market. Factors affecting carotenoid content were also disc...

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 t...

Phytoene and phytofluene are rarities among carotenoids as they are colourless, have a less rigid conformation and differ in their reactivity compared to other bioavailable carotenoids. Although they have been traditionally ignored, there is an expanding interest in them as recent studies indicate that they are present in some widely consumed foods...

The aim of this study was to evaluate Andean blueberries (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth) from Ecuador as a potential functional ingredient for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The analysis of bioactive compounds by HPLC–DAD–MSn determined a high content of (poly)phenols, mainly anthocyanins, and the presence of the carotenoid lutein. Regarding...

Andean blueberries are wild berries grown and consumed in Ecuador which contain high values of bioactive compounds, mainly anthocyanins, with powerful antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile and contents of (poly)phenols and carotenoids in Andean blueberry by HPLC-DAD-MSn and determine a wide range of its biological...

Production of high-quality healthy foods through sustainable methodologies is an urgent necessity. High pressure homogenization (HPH) is an interesting alternative to obtain premium citrus juices, but its effects on bioactive compounds are unclear. There was studied the influence of HPH (150 MPa) and pasteurization (92°C for 30 s and 85°C for 15 s)...

The objective of this study was in-depth identification of carotenoids and polyphenolic compounds in leaves and fruits of Elaeagnus multiflora Thunb. An additional aim was to assay their antioxidant and in vitro biological activities (the ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase activity) of two cultivars: ‘Sweet Scarlet’...

Background Carotenoids are isoprenoids compounds widely distributed in foods. A difference of carotenoids relative to other food bioactives is that some can be converted into compounds exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Besides, they are more versatile as they are also natural pigments, antioxidants and can be involved in...

High-pressure technologies are among those with increased interest in the sustainable production of quality-enhanced food products. In this work, Ortanique mandarin juices have been submitted to traditional pasteurization conditions (time/temperature of 65 °C/15 s, 85 °C/15 s and 92 °C/30 s) and energy-saving high-pressure homogenization (HPH, 150...

The color of the food can be evaluated visually or instrumentally. The instrumental measurement allows to measure the color objectively and can be carried out by different techniques, most of them fast, cheap, and simple. Carotenoids are responsible for the color of many plants and foods. The measurement of color can be an effective tool to determi...

Una gran variedad de estudios sugiere que una dieta apropiada y rica en compuestos bioactivos puede contribuir a disminuir el riesgo a desarrollar ciertas enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. En la actualidad, el uso de flores en la gastronomía va en aumento; sin embargo, poco se conoce sobre los beneficios para la salud que pueden aportar desde...

e-book CIBIA 2019

The objective of this work was to assess the impact of high-pressure processing (HPP) on the carotenoid profile, colour as well as the microbial and enzymatic stability of cloudy carrot juice. The predominant carotenoids in the fresh juices were by far the provitamin A carotenoids β-carotene and α-carotene. Others were ζ-carotene, phytofluene, phyt...

The carotenoid profiles of citrus fruit have been well studied, but knowledge about the xanthophylls esters pattern is more limited. In this study, the native carotenoid profiles of mandarin and orange juices were studied. Xanthophylls in oranges were esterified with lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids. The fatty acids esterifying β-crypto...

The mechanisms of main tomato carotenes (phytoene, phytofluene, lycopene and β-carotene) intestinal absorption are still only partly understood. We thus compared carotene bioavailability in mice after gavage with carotene-rich oil-in-water emulsions. We also determined each carotene absorption profile along the duodenal-ileal axis of the intestine...

Carotenoids are fascinating compounds that can be converted into many others, including retinoids, that also play key roles in many processes. Although carotenoids are largely known in the context of food science, nutrition, and health as natural colorants and precursors of vitamin A (VA) evidence has accumulated that even those that cannot be conv...

Background There is an increasing trend in the consumption of olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, due to its health benefits. These health benefits are mainly correlated to health-promoting components of olive oil such as polyphenols, tocopherols, and carotenoids, positive effects of olive oil on the inhibition of foodborne pathogens, sti...

In this work, the importance of dietary carotenoids in skin health and appearance is comprehensively reviewed and discussed. References are made to their applications in health-promoting and nutricosmetic products and the important public health implications that can be derived. Attention is focused on the colourless UV radiation (UVR)-absorbing di...

Twenty-two commercial milk-fruit juice beverages (MFJBs) were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector for carotenoids, retinol and α-tocopherol content. Bioaccessibility was also investigated by in vitro enzymatic digestion. Total carotenoids content and vitamin A calculated as retinol plus pro-vitamin A caroten...

Carotenoids are widespread isoprenoids that intervene in actions ranging from the collection of light and photoprotection to the regulation of gene expression and communication within or between species, to mention only some examples. They are, therefore, much more than natural pigments, as they are versatile compounds that are eliciting increasing...

An analytical method was validated for the quantitative determination of isoprenoids compounds in faecal samples, based on liquid-liquid extraction from a small aliquot (0.3-0.5 g of sample) and subsequent analysis by Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography (RRLC) on a C30 column. An excellent linear response was observed over the range specified fo...

Background: The beneficial effects of olive leaves are known from ancient times. In this regard, both the olive leaves and the different preparations obtained from them (e.g. infusions, extracts) have been traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases or to alleviate the symptoms associated with different pathologies. In addition, the us...

Around the world, the tomato is considered the most important vegetable because of the extent of the cultivated area. In addition, it requires vast amounts of irrigation but little is known about the management of deficit irrigation. This study aims to evaluate the effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on development of crop and fruit qualit...

De mis consideraciones, Es un placer para nuestro Comité Organizador comunicarle que su trabajo titulado: "EFECTO DEL RIEGO DEFICITARIO CONTROLADO SOBRE LOS PARÁMEROS DE CALIDAD Y CONTENIDO DE CAROTENOIDES, COMPUESTOS FENÓLICOS Y AZÚCARES DE TOMATE NEGRO (Solanum lycopersicum L.) ʽSUNCHOLAʼ" presentado por E. Coyago, M. Corell, A. Moriana, D. Herna...

The aim of this study was to assess commercial quality parameters, sugars, phenolics, carotenoids and plastid in diverse and little studied tomato varieties to gain insight into their commercial and functional quality and reveal possible noticeable differences. Five cherry tomato varieties and six common (i.e., non-cherry) tomatoes were evaluated....

Scope Absorption mechanisms of (PT) and phytofluene (PTF) are poorly known. Our main objectives were to measure their micellization and intestinal cell uptake efficiencies, and to compare them to that of commonly consumed carotenoids. Other objectives were to assess the involvement of protein(s) in their cellular uptake and whether they compete wit...

The carotenoid and mineral levels as well as the in vitro antioxidant capacity, using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, of waste from cantaloupe was assessed. Then the matrix was subjected to ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of the extraction o...

The objective was to assess the potential bioavailability of phytoene (PT) and phytofluene (PTF) from tomato powders used as raw materials for supplements as compared to the pulp of a common and a cherry tomato. PT and PTF are attracting much interest nowadays as they can provide health and cosmetic benefits. PT and PTF levels in the more concentra...

Mango is a commercially important tropical fruit. During its processing, peel and seed kernel are discarded as waste but they could be recovered as an excellent and cost-effective source of health-promoting ingredients. This study aimed to characterize some of them, including carotenoids like the provitamin A β-carotene and lutein, with an interest...

The interest in phytoene and phytofluene is expanding. In this study their bioaccessibility from thermally treated orange juices was analysed. Other carotenoids were also considered for comparison. Fresh, pasteurized, and ultrafrozen juices thawed at room temperature (UF-RT), in microwave oven (UF-MW), and in fridge (UF-FG) were investigated. Colou...

The colorless carotenoids phytoene and phytofluene are comparatively understudied compounds found in common foods (e.g., tomatoes) and in human plasma, internal tissues, and skin. Being naturally present in common foods, their intake at dietary levels is not expected to present a safety concern. However, since the interest in these compounds in the...

Foods that are commonly consumed in the diet are considered to provide more than 40 different carotenoids. However, the content in carotenoids varies considerably both in qualitative and quantitative terms as a consequence of different genotypes, climatic conditions of the production area and agronomic factors, among others. In this paper, analytic...

Carotenoids are dietary compounds of great interest in food science, nutrition and health due to the fact that some of them can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, their role as natural colorants and a growing body of evidence indicating that they may provide health benefits. This is not all as some carotenoids accumulate in...

Carotenoids are lipophilic isoprenoid compounds synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and some non-photosynthetic bacteria and fungi. With some notable exceptions, animals (including humans) do not produce carotenoids de novo but take them in their diets. In photosynthetic systems carotenoids are essential for photoprotection against excess l...

https://idus.us.es/xmlui/handle/11441/68953 Libro sobre pigmentos carotenoides editado en el marco de la RED TEMÁTICA IBERCAROT (referencia 112RT445) http://carotenoides.us.es. PROGRAMA IBEROAMERICANO DE CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGIA PARA EL DESARROLLO – CYTED.

Se considera que los alimentos que se consumen comúnmente en la dieta proporcionan más de 40 carotenoides diferentes (Khachik, 2006). No obstante, el contenido en carotenoides de los mismos varía considerablemente tanto en términos cualitativos como cuantitativos como consecuencia de factores de distinta naturaleza, como el genotipo, las condicione...

Introducción Los carotenoides están presentes en muchos alimentos. Estudios in vitro e in vivo parecen indicar que podrían ser beneficiosos para la salud, aunque estos efectos protectores no han sido demostrados de forma contundente en humanos debido a las dificultades que entrañan estos estudios. Algunos de estos compuestos son precursores de la v...

The objective of this work was verify if, based on the concentration of some key isoprenoids and the colour, olive oils from a specific mill could be differentiated from those from other mills by linear discriminant analysis. The isoprenoids studied were β-carotene, lutein, α-tocopherol, β-sitosterol, pheophytin a and squalene, which are isoprenoid...

Background: Guayusa (Ilex guayusa Loes.) leaves, native of the Ecuadorian amazon, are popularly used for preparing teas. This study aimed to assess the influence of leaf age on the phenolic compounds and carotenoids, and the bioactivity and digestibility (in vitro) of aqueous and hydroalcoholic leaf extracts. Results: In total, 14 phenolic compo...

Cherry tomato varieties are widely consumed in many countries. They contain nutrients and health-promoting compounds like phenolics and carotenoids. The main purpose of this study was to determine how the fruit position on the cluster affected quality parameters of diverse nature (weight, soluble solids, firmness, colour, carotenoids, phenolic comp...

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the effect of regulated deficit irrigation, cluster, developmental stages and two seasons (autumn 2015 and spring 2016) on the commercial and functional quality (carotenoids and plenolics levels) in ‘Lazarino’ and ‘Summerbrix’ tomatoes. Autumn had a positive effect on the commercial q...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and of cluster position (CI: first and second cluster; CII: third and fourth cluster; CIII: fifth and sixth cluster) on fruit quality parameters, carotenoids and phenolics in tomatoes. Three common (‘Tigerella’, ‘Palamós’ and ‘Byelsa’) and two cherry varieties (‘Lazarino’...