Gyula Tóth

Carotenoids in the egg yolks of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) in relation to parental quality, environmental factors and laying order

Birds may influence the fitness of their offspring by transmission of different amounts of carotenoids to their eggs. Carotenoids play crucial roles in antioxidant protection and immune defence mechanisms, but they may be available to females in limiting amounts. Therefore, their allocation to the eggs may be influenced by the female’s condition, age and environmental circumstances. Furthermore, the quality of the male parent, which affects the reproductive value of the offspring, may also influence this investment. In this correlational study, we investigated proximate and ultimate factors that may lead to variation in yolk lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene concentrations among and within clutches of a wild passerine, the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We found that carotenoid concentration was positively associated with caterpillar supply at the time of egg formation, which suggests a proximate constraint of carotenoid availability on yolk composition. Neither female condition, body size, age, nor male plumage ornamentation, age and body size correlated with carotenoid deposition. Yolk β-carotene concentration was found to be positively linked to yolk testosterone concentration. We suggest that females allocated more β-carotene to their eggs to mitigate the potentially detrimental effects of elevated steroid concentration. We found that concentration of β-carotene increased with laying order. The possible function of this pattern may be to enhance the resistance to oxidative stress and pathogens of the disadvantaged last-hatching nestling, suggesting that collared flycatchers pursue a compensatory, “brood survival” strategy.

HPLC study on the carotenoid composition of Calendula products

The authors report on the HPLC investigation of the carotenoid composition of the steams, leaves, petals and pollens of Calendula officinalis L. In the petals and pollens, the main carotenoids were flavoxanthin and auroxanthin while the stem and leaves mostly contained lutein and beta-carotene. Five different herbal tea and two tinctures made from the flower of C. officinalis L. were also investigated and the carotenoid composition of the industrial products was compared to the starting material.

Non-covalent associations of cyclomaltooligosaccharides (cyclodextrins) with carotenoids in water. A study on the α- and β-cyclodextrin/ψ, ψ-carotene(lycopene) systems by light scattering, ionspray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry

Water-soluble complexes of the dietary carotenoid ψ,ψ-carotene (lycopene 1) with cyclomaltohexaose (α-cyclodextrin, αCD) and cyclomaltoheptaose (β-cyclodextrin, βCD) have been prepared and characterized via multiangle light scattering (MALS), ionspray/electrospray ionization (IS/ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem MS. MALS experiments point out that large aggregates of particles, on the nanometer-size scale, are present in water, with meaningful differences in the shape of the αCD/1 aggregates with respect to βCD/1 analogues. The true 1:1 αCD/1 inclusion complex has been observed by IS/ESIMS and confirmed by tandem MS. The structure of CD/1 aggregations in water is proposed which are consistent with the combined MALS and MS experimental results.

Light-induced formation of 13-cis violaxanthin in leaves of Hordeum vulgare

Abstract The xanthophyll cycle is recognized as one of several mechanisms involved in the protection of plant membranes against damage resulting from excess excitation in high light. However, in most plants, only a proportion (typically ∼60%) of violaxanthin undergoes de-epoxidation into zeaxanthin. When leaves of H. vulgare are illuminated at 650 μmol m−2 s−1 of photosynthetically active radiation for 120 min, de-epoxidation of violaxanthin is accompanied by trans cis isomerization of this xanthophyll. The most significant change upon illumination is the formation of the 13-cis isomer from the all-trans form of this carotenoid. The level of the 13-cis isomer increases from ∼1% of total violaxanthin in dark-adapted leaves to ∼9% in leaves that have been illuminated. An identical pattern of isomerization for violaxanthin is also observed in leaves which are illuminated following pre-treatment with dithiothreitol (DTT). Following illumination, plants are returned to darkness and recovery of the original isomeric content and composition is observed. The role of such light-mediated isomerization of violaxanthin in terms of limiting de-epoxidation and its potential role in photoprotection of the light-harvesting complex is discussed.

Isolation and characterization of 3,5,6-trihydroxy-carotenoids from petals ofLilium tigrinum

SummaryReinvestigation by HPLC of the petals ofLilium tigrinum and the isolation of some minor compounds is reported. Using HPLC-controlled, preparative-column chromatography, 5,6-diakarpoxanthin (6), 6-epikarpoxanthin (2), 5,6-diacapsokarpoxanthin (8), and 9Z-antheraxanthin (9Z-13) were isolated and characterized. Based on spectroscopic data the absolute configurations of6 and8 were identical with those originating from paprika, thus the 5,6-diakarpoxanthin (6) and 5,6-diacapsokarpoxanthin (8) have the 3S, 5S, 6S configuration and 6-epikarpoxanthin (2) has the 3S, 5R, 6S configuration.

Novel carotenoid 3,6-epoxides from red paprika, Capsicum annuum

Abstract The new carotenoid pigments (2),(3),(7),(9) and (10) have been isolated from red paprika; the 3,6-epoxy-5-hydroxy end group present in the pigments (2) and (9), hitherto has not been reported amongst natural carotenoids.

Decrease in serum levels of vitamin A and zeaxanthin in patients with colorectal polyp

OBJECTIVE Several retrospective and prospective epidemiological investigations have demonstrated that a diet rich in carotenoids could prevent the development of pre-cancerous and neoplastic lesions of the digestive tract. The aim of this examination was to analyse the correlation between colorectal polyps with different histological classifications and serum carotenoid levels. DESIGN AND METHODS A 10 ml blood sample was taken from all of the patients after the colonoscopic diagnosis. The serum levels of vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha- and beta-carotene were measured in patients with adenomatous colorectal polyp (n = 59, 35 males, 24 females) by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and compared with those in healthy subjects (n = 20, 10 males, 10 females). The patients were separated into four groups depending on their histological findings. RESULTS The serum levels of vitamin A and zeaxanthin were significantly lower in all patients with polyps (vitamin A: 0.913 +/- 0.112 micromol/l, zeaxanthin: 0.071 +/- 0.012 micromol/l) than in the control healthy group (vitamin A: 2.036 +/- 0.354 micromol/l, zeaxanthin: 0.138 +/- 0.048 micromol/l). The lowest levels were found in patients with focal adenocarcinoma in the polyp. There were no significant differences in the serum levels of other carotenoids. The serum levels of cholesterol, haemoglobin, total protein and albumin were normal in these patients. CONCLUSIONS There are close and inverse correlations between the serum level of carotenoids and colorectal polyps with different histological grades. The low mean carotenoid levels in patients with adenocarcinoma in the polyp indicate that deficiency of carotenoids may be an important factor in the development of colorectal cancer.

Capsoneoxanthin, a new carotenoid isolated from the fruits of Asparagus falcatus

Abstract From the ripe fruits of Asparagus falcatus capsoneoxanthin, a minor carotenoid was isolated and, based on its spectral data, identified as (all-E,3S,5R,6R,3′S,5′R)-6,7-didehydro-5,6-dihydro-3,5,3′-trihydroxy-β,κ-caroten-6′-one.

Identification of oxo, epoxy and somecis-carotenoids in high-performance liquid chromatography

SummaryMethods of identification of aldehyde, ketonic, 5,6-epoxy, 5,8-epoxy groups andcis double bonds with highcis-peaks in carotenoids in HPLC have been investigated with selected models and a plant extract.

Analysis of carotenoids in the fruits of Asparagus falcatus: Isolation of 5,6-diepikarpoxanthin

SummaryIn an investigation of carotenoids present in the fruits ofAsparagus falcatus capsanthin (1), capsorubin (2), 5,6-diepikarpoxanthin (7), capsanthin 5,6-epoxide (18), capsochrome (17), mutatoxanthin (19), antheraxanthin (11), and capsanthone (20) (Figure 1) have been isolated by preparative CLC and characterized by spectroscopic methods. On the basis of spectroscopic data the absolute configuration of 5,6-diepikarpoxanthin (7) was determined as 3S,5S,6S, which is identical with that occurring in samples originating from paprika andLilium.