HORTICULTURE Flashcards
What colour are carotenoids?
Red/yellow/orange
Carotenoids are colourless until which point in the carotenoid pathway?
Carotenoids are colourless until Lycopene in the carotenoid pathway.
Explain the difference between α-carotine and β-carotine
From lycopene you can either go to α-carotine or β-carotine and the ends of the lycopene molecule get wrapped around into rings
The α arm has two β rings
The β arm has a β ring and an episilon (ε) ring
What addition turns a carotene to a xanthophyll?
Addition of a hydroxyl (OH) group
Which 3 carotenoids are precursors for retinal?
β-carotene
β-crytpoxanthin
α-carotene
Where are carotenoids stored in plants?
In chromoplasts and chloroplasts as either crystals or lipid globules
Which carotenoids form crystals when stored?
Lycopene and ß-carotene tend to form crystals, which are less bioavailable than lipid granules
Explain the absorption of carotenoids
Occurs in small intestine
Carotenoids are lipophilic so their absorption is improved when its in conjunction with oils/fats
Oils/fats help create mixed micelles (carotenoids, bile salts and lipids)
The mixed micelles release carotenoids into enterocytes by active/passive diffusion
How are carotenoids transported around the body?
Carotenoids are cleaved and then attached to transport proteins called chylomicrons. They are then secreted into lympatic system
They then travel to the liver where they are repackaged onto lipid carrier proteins (LDL or HDL)
How many retinals can be made from ß-carotene
1 ß-carotene = 2 retinals
What enzymes cleaves ß-carotene into retinal?
ß-carotene oxygenase 1
What are some good sources of pro-vitamin A?
- Carrot
- Sweet Potato
- Pumpkin
- Mango
- Papaya
What is a retinoic acid deficiency called and what does it cause?
Xerophthalmia = loss of goblet cells in the membrane covering the eye, which can destroy the cornea and potentially cause irreversible blindness
Which two carotenoids can accumulate in the macula?
Zeaxanthins and luteins
What is AMD and what does it affect?
Age-related macular degeneration. Effects the macular which is the part of the retina which is used for reading. AMD causes central blindness (but good peripheral)
How do zeaxanthin and lutein prevent AMD?
They act as ‘sunglasses’ for the macular and are good at oxidising blue light (which is damaging)
What are some examples of dietary Zeaxanthin?
- Corn
- persimmon
- spinach
- oranges
- mandarins
What are good sources of luteins?
Dark leafy greens
What are the RDIs for zeaxanthin and luteins?
No actual RDI has been established but there is consensus among health professionals:
- Luteins: 10mg/day
- Zeaxanthins: 2mg/day
What is supergold corn and what is the benefits?
Biofortified sweet corn with added zeaxanthin
normal corn has approx 25% of all caroteinoids as zeaxthain, supergold has 74%
100g of supergold corn has >2mg of zeathanin
More gold in colour than regular corn
What foods are good sources of lycopene?
- Tomatoes
- red papaya
- red watermelon
- red fleshed grapefruit