TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mageney, Vera
A1  - Baldermann, Susanne
A1  - Albach, Dirk C.
T1  - Intraspecific Variation in Carotenoids of Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
JF  - Journal of agricultural and food chemistry : a publication of the American Chemical Society
N2  - Carotenoids are best known as a source of natural antioxidants. Physiologically, carotenoids are part of the photoprotection in plants as they act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An important source of carotenoids in European food is Brassica oleracea. Focusing on the most abundant carotenoids, we estimated the contents of beta-carotene, (9Z)-neoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein as well as those of chlorophylls a and b to assess their variability in Brassica oleracea var. sabellica. Our analyses included more than 30 cultivars categorized in five distinct sets grouped according to morphological characteristics or geographical origin. Our results demonstrated specific carotenoid patterns characteristic for American, Italian, and red-colored kale cultivars. Moreover, we demonstrated a tendency of high zeaxanthin proportions under traditional harvest conditions, which accord to low-temperature regimes. We also compared the carotenoid patterns of self-generated hybrid lines. Corresponding findings indicated that crossbreeding has a high potential for carotenoid content optimization in kale.
KW  - Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
KW  - beta-carotene
KW  - lutein
KW  - (9Z)-neoxanthin
KW  - zeaxanthin
KW  - low temperature
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00268
SN  - 0021-8561
SN  - 1520-5118
VL  - 64
SP  - 3251
EP  - 3257
PB  - American Chemical Society
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Frede, Katja
A1  - Ebert, Franziska
A1  - Kipp, Anna Patricia
A1  - Schwerdtle, Tanja
A1  - Baldermann, Susanne
T1  - Lutein Activates the Transcription Factor Nrf2 in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
JF  - Journal of agricultural and food chemistry : a publication of the American Chemical Society
N2  - The degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium caused by oxidative damage is a stage of development in age related macular degeneration (AMD). The carotenoid lutein is a major macular pigment that may reduce the incidence and progression of AMD, but the underlying mechanism is currently not fully understood. Carotenoids are known to be direct antioxidants. However, carotenoids can also activate cellular pathways resulting in indirect antioxidant effects. Here, we investigate the influence of lutein on the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) target genes in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19 cells) using lutein-loaded Tween40 micelles. The micelles were identified as a suitable delivery system since they were nontoxic in APRE-19 cells up to 0.04% Tween40 and led to a cellular lutein accumulation of 62 mu M +/- 14 mu M after 24 h. Lutein significantly enhanced Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus 1.5 +/- 0.4-fold compared to that of unloaded micelles after 4 h. Furthermore, lutein treatment for 24 h significantly increased the transcripts of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) by 1.7 +/- 0.1-fold, glutamate-cysteine ligase regulatory subunit (GCLm) by 1.4 +/- 0.1-fold, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by 1.8 +/- 0.3-fold. Moreover, we observed a significant enhancement of NQO1 activity by 1.2 +/- 0.1-fold. Collectively, this study indicates that lutein not only serves as a direct antioxidant but also activates Nrf 2 in ARPE-19 cells.
KW  - lutein
KW  - Nif2
KW  - ARPE-19 cells
KW  - AMD
KW  - Tween40 micelles
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b01929
SN  - 0021-8561
SN  - 1520-5118
VL  - 65
SP  - 5944
EP  - 5952
PB  - American Chemical Society
CY  - Washington
ER  -