Localization of carotenoids in lipid rafts determins thier physiological functions

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26660114
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: TERAO Junji 徳島大学, 大学院医歯薬学研究部, 教授 (60093275)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: カロテノイド / 脂質ラフト / 抗酸化作用 / 酸化ストレス / 一重項酸素 / ベータカロテン / ルテイン / リコペン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was aimed to demonstrate the localization of carotenoids in lipid rafts of cellular membranes in order to know the relationship between the cellular distribution of carotenoids and their in vivo antioxidant activity. The compounds used were beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene. We found that all carotenoids distributed in the lipid raft fractions in the separation of fibroblast cells by ultracentrifugation method. However, we could not demonstrate that carotenoids are specifically localized in lipid rafts. Allene-type carotenoids, fucaxanthin and neoxanthin were found to suppress singlet oxygen-oxygenation of fibroblast cells as similarly to beta-carotene.

Free Research Field

農学