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PubMed1988

Low serum levels of carotenoids in sickle cell anemia.

Serum carotenoids, tocopherols and retinol were analyzed in patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and in control subjects. The data show the following: the serum levels of the major carotenoids, alpha and beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, lycopene lutein, alpha tocopherol and retinol were significantly lower in SCA patients. These findings reflect an additional abnormality of the antioxidant system in SCA patients. Gamma tocopherol, on the other hand, was significantly elevated, consistent with the previously reported reciprocal relationship between serum alpha and gamma tocopherols. Thus, these data taken together with the earlier findings on the lower levels of plasma alpha tocopherol and ascorbic acid suggest that the entire antioxidant system may be compromised in SCA patients. This may contribute in part to the phenotypic expression of the condition.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗
PubMed1991

Carotenoids of Erwinia herbicola and an Escherichia coli HB101 strain carrying the Erwinia herbicola carotenoid gene cluster.

Carotenoid pigments of Erwinia herbicola and a transformed strain of Escherichia coli carrying the carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster of E. herbicola have been analyzed. Both organisms are capable of making essentially the same carotenoids, indicating that all of the genes required for the biosynthesis of the wild type E. herbicola carotenoids have been transformed intact into E. coli. The major products in both species of bacteria are beta-cryptoxanthin glucoside, zeaxanthin monoglucoside and zeaxanthin diglucoside. These compounds are the first example of secondary, non-allylic carotenoid glucosides. The absolute configuration 3R,3'R for zeaxanthin diglucoside was determined from its circular dichroism spectrum. Both species of bacteria also accumulate small amounts of hydrocarbon carotenes with similar cis/trans isomerization states.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2025

Biochemical and Genomic Underpinnings of Carotenoid Colour Variation Across a Hybrid Zone Between South Asian Flameback Woodpeckers.

Colouration and patterning have been implicated in lineage diversification across various taxa, as colour traits are heavily influenced by sexual and natural selection. Investigating the biochemical and genomic foundations of these traits therefore provides deeper insights into the interplay between genetics, ecology and social interactions in shaping the diversity of life. In this study, we assessed the pigment chemistries and genomic underpinnings of carotenoid colour variation in naturally hybridising Dinopium flamebacks in tropical South Asia. We employed reflectance spectrometric analysis to quantify species-specific plumage colouration, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to elucidate the feather carotenoids of flamebacks across the hybrid zone, and Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) using next-generation sequencing data to uncover the genetic factors underlying carotenoid colour variation in flamebacks. Our analysis revealed that the red mantle feathers of D. psarodes primarily contained astaxanthin, with small amounts of other 4-keto-carotenoids. In contrast, the yellow mantle feathers of D. benghalense predominantly contained lutein and 3'-dehydro-lutein, alongside minor amounts of zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and canary-xanthophylls A and B. Hybrids with an intermediate, orange colouration deposited all of these pigments in their mantle feathers, with notably higher concentrations of carotenoids with ε-end rings. The GWAS analysis identified the CYP2J2 gene, which plays a role in carotenoid ketolation, as associated with the expression of carotenoid colouration. Read depth data suggested variation in copy number of this gene in flamebacks. These findings contribute to the growing knowledge of avian carotenoid metabolism and highlight how genomic architecture can influence phenotypic diversity.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Purification and Biochemical Analysis of the Cytoplasmic Membrane from the Desiccation-Tolerant Cyanobacterium Nostoc commune UTEX 584.

The cytoplasmic membrane of the heterocystous cyanobacterium Nostoc commune UTEX 584 was isolated free of thylakoids and phycobiliprotein-membrane complexes by flotation centrifugation. Purified membranes had a buoyant density of 1.07 g cm and were bright orange. Twelve major proteins were detected in the membrane, and of these, the most abundant had molecular masses of 83, 71, 68, 51, and 46 kilodaltons. The ester-linked fatty acids of the methanol fraction contained 16:0, 18:0, 18:1omega9c, 20:0, and 20:3omega3 with no traces of hydroxy fatty acids. Compound 20:3omega3 represented 56.8% of the total fatty acid methyl esters, a feature which distinguishes the cell membrane of N. commune UTEX 584 from those of all other cyanobacteria which have been characterized to date. Fatty acid 18:3 was not detected. Carotenoids were analyzed by highperformance liquid chromatography. The cytoplasmic membrane contained beta-carotene and echinenone as the dominant carotenoids and lacked chlorophyll a and pheophytin a. Whole cells contained beta-carotene and echinenone, and lesser amounts of zeaxanthin and (3R)-cryptoxanthin.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Introduction of new carotenoids into the bacterial photosynthetic apparatus by combining the carotenoid biosynthetic pathways of Erwinia herbicola and Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Carotenoids have two major functions in bacterial photosynthesis, photoprotection and accessory light harvesting. The genes encoding many carotenoid biosynthetic pathways have now been mapped and cloned in several different species, and the availability of cloned genes which encode the biosynthesis of carotenoids not found in the photosynthetic genus Rhodobacter opens up the possibility of introducing a wider range of foreign carotenoids into the bacterial photosynthetic apparatus than would normally be available by producing mutants of the native biosynthetic pathway. For example, the crt genes from Erwinia herbicola, a gram-negative nonphotosynthetic bacterium which produces carotenoids in the sequence of phytoene, lycopene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and zeaxanthin glucosides, are clustered within a 12.8-kb region and have been mapped and partially sequenced. In this paper, part of the E. herbicola crt cluster has been excised and expressed in various crt strains of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. This has produced light-harvesting complexes with a novel carotenoid composition, in which the foreign carotenoids such as beta-carotene function successfully in light harvesting. The outcome of the combination of the crt genes in R. sphaeroides with those from E. herbicola has, in some cases, resulted in an interesting rerouting of the expected biosynthetic sequence, which has also provided insights into how the various enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway might interact. Clearly this approach has considerable potential for studies on the control and organization of carotenoid biosynthesis, as well as providing novel pigment-protein complexes for functional studies.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2005

Association of dietary vitamin A, carotenoids, and other antioxidants with the risk of ovarian cancer.

UNLABELLED: Antioxidants may protect the ovaries from oxidative damage and reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Although a few studies have examined the relation of antioxidant intake to the risk of ovarian cancer, the results have been inconclusive. Questions still remain regarding the effects of confounding factors, such as menopause, tobacco smoking, and alcohol drinking, on the association between antioxidants and ovarian cancer development. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of the consumption of micronutrients from foods and supplements with the risk of ovarian cancer. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was administered to 558 histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer cases and 607 population controls from a multiethnic, population-based case-control study conducted between 1993 and 1999 in Hawaii and Los Angeles. RESULTS: Overall, vitamin A and carotene intakes were modestly associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. Inverse gradients in ovarian cancer risk with increasing dietary intake of vitamin A and beta-carotene were somewhat stronger among women with mucinous histologic types, smokers, and nondrinkers. A significant positive trend in risk associated with increasing beta-cryptoxanthin intake was observed among postmenopausal women, among women with nonmucinous tumors, and among nonsmokers. The intake of other carotenoids and antioxidants, either from foods or supplements, was unrelated to ovarian cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that dietary vitamin A and beta-carotene are modestly protective against ovarian cancer, particularly among smokers. Our data suggest a role for retinoic acid signaling pathways in ovarian carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A comparison of carotenoids, retinoids, and tocopherols in the serum and buccal mucosa of chronic cigarette smokers versus nonsmokers.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking, a major risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer, is reported to alter oral levels of carotenoids and tocopherols. Such effects may be important because these nutrients, as well as retinoids, are putative chemoprotective agents. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether chronic smoking is associated with altered concentrations of these nutrients in serum and buccal mucosa; to distinguish whether such effects are ascribable to diet; and to determine whether oral concentrations of these nutrients correlate with a putative biomarker of oral cancer risk. METHODS: Serum and buccal mucosal cells (BMC) were analyzed for these nutrients and for BMC micronuclei in smokers (n = 35) and nonsmokers (n = 21). RESULTS: General linear regression with adjustments for dietary intake showed that smokers possess lower serum concentrations of beta- and alpha-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin (P </= 0.01) and a significantly higher serum gamma-tocopherol (P = 0.03). In BMCs, smokers had significantly lower concentrations of beta- and alpha-carotene, lycopene, and alpha-tocopherol (P < 0.05) but significantly higher gamma-tocopherol (P < 0.01). Among nonsmokers, many serum carotenoid concentrations correlated with concentrations of the corresponding nutrient in BMCs whereas no such correlations existed among smokers. BMC micronuclei did not correlate with the oral concentration of any micronutrient. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic cigarette smokers have lower concentrations of many dietary antioxidants in serum and BMCs compared with nonsmokers, an effect which is not entirely ascribable to diet. Nevertheless, the lack of concordance between oral concentrations of these nutrients and genetic damage in the BMCs of smokers does not support a protective role for these nutrients in oral carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Dietary habits and cardiovascular risk in the Spanish population: the DRECE study (II) micronutrient intake. Dieta y Riesgo de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares en España.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dietary micronutrient intake in the adult Spanish population participating in the DRECE study. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was performed in two stages in 1991 and 1996 in 43 primary care clinics. One thousand two hundred people 'with cardiovascular risk' and 600 'without risk' answered a food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Significant increases in vitamin C, retinol, lycopenes, beta-cryptoxanthin and vitamin E intakes were found. Vitamin A, alpha-carotenoid and lutein intakes decreased. Vitamin B(12), B(6) and folic acid intakes increased in people with cardiovascular risk, whereas only the last two increased in the control group. Nearly 100% of the people consumed the recommended dietary allowances for vitamins B(12) and B(6) and >70% for folic acid. Calcium, iron, and zinc intake increased in both groups, but magnesium and selenium intake increased only in people at risk. Vitamin A, B(1) and zinc intakes have decreased, and >50% of the people do not consume the recommended dietary allowance. CONCLUSION: Antioxidant vitamins and vitamin B(12), B(6) and folic acid intakes seem to be adequate in the adult Spanish population, no significant differences appear regarding their cardiovascular risk status. Vitamin A, B(1) and zinc intakes are not appropriate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Biological relevance of terpenoids. Overview focusing on mono-, di- and tetraterpenes.

The role of fruit and vegetables in human nutrition and public health are taken into account in most nutritional recommendations. Fruit and vegetables contain an abundance of phenolic substances, terpenoids and other natural antioxidants that have been associated with protection from and treatment of chronic diseases such as heart disease or cancer. Terpenoids are a group of substances which occur in nearly every natural food. Their main subclasses discussed as beneficial to maintain and improve health are monoterpenes (like limonene, carvone or carveol), diterpenes (including the retinoids), and tetraterpenes (which include all different carotenoids like alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthine and cryptoxanthine). To be discussed as health promoting or biofunctional, the significant impact of a substance either on human metabolism or on well-defined and appropriate biomarkers must be shown. Based on the latter point, this paper reviews the literature on mono-, di- and tetraterpenes, with special focus on their impact on human health to answer the question of their biofunctionality. Special emphasis will be placed on their different mode of action, e.g. to affect oxidative stress, carcinogenesis and cardiovascular diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Plasma antioxidant status, immunoglobulin g oxidation and lipid peroxidation in demented patients: relevance to Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia.

A large body of evidence supports a role of oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease (AD) and in cerebrovascular disease. A vascular component might be critical in the pathophysiology of AD, but there is a substantial lack of data regarding the simultaneous behavior of peripheral antioxidants and biomarkers of oxidative stress in AD and vascular dementia (VaD). Sixty-three AD patients, 23 VaD patients and 55 controls were included in the study. We measured plasma levels of water-soluble (vitamin C and uric acid) and lipophilic (vitamin E, vitamin A, carotenoids including lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene) antioxidant micronutrients as well as levels of biomarkers of lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde (MDA)] and of protein oxidation [immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels of protein carbonyls and dityrosine] in patients and controls. With the exception of beta-carotene, all antioxidants were lower in demented patients as compared to controls. Furthermore, AD patients showed a significantly higher IgG dityrosine content as compared to controls. AD and VaD patients showed similar plasma levels of plasma antioxidants and MDA as well as a similar IgG content of protein carbonyls and dityrosine. We conclude that, independent of its nature-vascular or degenerative-dementia is associated with the depletion of a large spectrum of antioxidant micronutrients and with increased protein oxidative modification. This might be relevant to the pathophysiology of dementing disorders, particularly in light of the recently suggested importance of the vascular component in AD development.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Evaluation of oxidative stress and antioxidant defences in malnourished Moroccan children].

In Morocco, malnutrition is a public health problem. Indeed, 25% of 6- to 60-month-old children suffer from malnutrition. Imbalance between antioxidant protection and prooxidant stress has been reported to accurately predict the survival of malnourished children. Therefore, we determined blood antioxidant vitamins (retinol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids), trace elements (serum zinc, copper and selenium) and enzymes (erythrocyte Se glutathione peroxydase and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase) as well as blood oxidative stress index [ferritine, thiobarbituric-acid reactants (TBARS)] in 21 children suffering from severe malnutrition, 15 children suffering from mild malnutrition and in 20 healthy control children. Selenium, retionol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids were significantly decreased in malnourished children. These decreases were related to the severity of malnutrition. Moreover, the percentage of vitamin and trace element concentrations under deficient cutoff were high in malnourished children. On the contrary, TBARS, ferritin and prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) were significantly increased in malnourished children. Except for TBARS, these increases were related to the severity of malnutrition. On the other hand, blood retional, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium were negatively related to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Blood beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, carotenes and copper were positively related to weight. Finally, blood lutein/zeaxanthin and copper were positively related to height. These results confirm the imbalance between antioxidant protective factors and oxidative stress index in malnourished children. Moreover, the decrease in antioxidant protective factors is related to inflammation or stature. These results suggest that antioxidant micronutrient supplementation of the refeeding diet could be required in the nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished children.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1997

Association of serum vitamin levels, LDL susceptibility to oxidation, and autoantibodies against MDA-LDL with carotid atherosclerosis. A case-control study. The ARIC Study Investigators. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities.

Oxidative modification of LDL is believed to be a crucial step in atherosclerosis. Thus, antioxidant vitamins may have a role in the prevention of coronary disease. We examined the cross-sectional association of serum vitamin levels, the susceptibility of LDL to hemin-induced oxidation (lag phase to conjugated diene formation), and the malondialdehyde-LDL (MDA-LDL) to native LDL radioactivity binding ratio with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of asymptomatic early atherosclerosis. The participants in this observational study were 231 asymptomatic age-, sex-, race-, and field center-matched case-control pairs selected from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study cohort on the basis of B-mode carotid artery ultrasonograms obtained from 1986 through 1989. Cases exceeded the 90th percentile of IMT, and control subjects were below the 75th percentile of IMT for all arterial segments. Biochemical analyses were performed on fasting frozen (-70 degrees C) serum specimens collected from 1990 through 1992. In conditional logistic regression adjusting for age, blood storage time, total cholesterol, and log-triglyceride concentrations, serum beta-cryptoxanthin and lutein plus zeaxanthin levels were inversely related to the extent of atherosclerosis (odds ratio [OR] per 1-SD increase: 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.94; and OR per 1-SD increase: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.95, respectively). Increases in alpha-carotene and lycopene were associated with nonsignificantly lower odds of being a case, whereas beta-carotene, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol were unrelated to IMT. Although not reaching statistical significance, the lag phase and autoantibodies against MDA-LDL were positively associated with asymptomatic atherosclerosis. After adjustment for potential confounders, only the inverse association of lutein plus zeaxanthin with asymptomatic atherosclerosis was maintained. This study supports a modest inverse association between circulating levels of some carotenoids, particularly lutein plus zeaxanthin, and carotid IMT. These findings suggest that these carotenoid compounds (regarded as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake) may be important in early stages of atherosclerosis.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1996

Magnetic resonance imaging white matter hyperintensities in clinically normal elderly individuals. Correlations with plasma concentrations of naturally occurring antioxidants.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: White matter hyperintensities are a common magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observation in the elderly. They are believed to represent a subclinical form of ischemic brain damage, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are still incompletely understood. We postulated that oxidative mechanisms may favor the development of these changes and therefore correlated their presence and extent with the plasma concentrations of 10 naturally occurring antioxidants. METHODS: We studied 355 clinically normal volunteers 45 to 75 years of age who were randomly selected from the official community register. A 1.5-T MRI of the brain and measurements of the plasma concentrations of antioxidants including zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, canthaxanthin, lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, retinol, gamma- and alpha-tocopherol, as well as ascorbate were performed in all study participants. White matter hyperintensities were graded as punctate, beginning confluent, and confluent abnormalities. RESULTS: Punctate, beginning confluent, and confluent white matter abnormalities occurred in 101 (28.5%), 44 (12.4%), and 14 (3.9%) individuals, respectively. Study participants with white matter damage were significantly older and had a higher frequency of arterial hypertension and cardiac disease but lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol. The plasma levels of lycopene and alpha-tocopherol were significantly lower in subjects with early confluent and confluent white matter hyperintensities, while individuals with punctate foci had an antioxidant status similar to those with normal MRI scans. Alpha-tocopherol was the only antioxidant that remained significantly and inversely related to the presence of beginning confluent and confluent white matter changes after adjustment for the between-group differences in age, arterial hypertension, cardiac disease, and cholesterol. The adjusted odds ratio for early confluent and confluent white matter abnormalities was 3.70 (95% CI, 1.69 to 8.10) in the lowest compared with the highest quartile of the alpha-tocopherol concentration. The odds ratio increased to 7.11 (95% CI, 1.63 to 22.84) when quintiles of the alpha-tocopherol level were compared. CONCLUSIONS: These data do not prove a causal relation, but they provide evidence of an association between low plasma concentrations of vitamin E and a higher risk of cerebral white matter disease in elderly normal subjects.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Serum carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, and lung function among Dutch elderly.

Antioxidant vitamins (provitamins) may protect against loss of lung function over time. We studied the association between serum carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein), alpha-tocopherol, and lung function among noninstitutionalized Dutch elderly age 65 to 85 yr (n = 528). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed with FEV(1) or FVC as dependent variables and serum levels of antioxidants in quintiles as independent variables. We adjusted for age, gender, height, and pack-years of smoking. Subjects in the fifth quintile of serum beta-carotene had a 195 ml (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 40 to 351 ml) higher and those in the fifth quintile of alpha-carotene had a 257 ml (95% CI: 99 to 414 ml) higher FEV(1) compared with subjects in the first quintile of these carotenoids. Significant (p < 0.05) positive trends were observed between alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, and FEV(1) and between alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and FVC. Subjects in the highest quintile of the other carotenoids or alpha-tocopherol did not have significantly higher FEV(1) or FVC compared with subjects in the first quintile of these antioxidants. In conclusion, this study shows that from the six major serum carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol studied, particularly alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene were positively associated with lung function in the elderly and may be considered as candidates for further investigations.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Carotenoid composition and antioxidant potential in subfractions of human low-density lipoprotein.

Carotenoids and vitamin E are transported in human plasma complexed with lipoproteins. The bulk of them are associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL), in which form they may act as antioxidants and thus delay the onset of atherosclerosis. We used a simple, rapid, ultracentrifugation technique to fractionate plasma lipoproteins in self-generating gradients of iodixanol (Optiprep), a non-ionic iodinated density gradient medium. The carotenoid content and composition of a number of LDL subfractions was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Lycopene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin were mainly located in the larger, less-dense LDL particles whereas lutein and zeaxanthin were found preferentially in the smaller, more dense LDL particles. When the antioxidant content of these fractions was expressed per milligram of LDL protein, significantly lower concentrations of carotenoid and vitamin E were found to be associated with the smaller, protein-rich fractions of LDL. Strong positive correlations were found between total carotenoid and vitamin E plasma concentrations and the lag-time of Cu(2+)-mediated oxidation of LDL subfractions. The more dense LDL subfractions, which had lower levels of these antioxidants, were more readily oxidized, highlighting their possible role in atherosclerotic events.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2004

Nutrition and cancer: a review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet.

It has been estimated that 30-40 percent of all cancers can be prevented by lifestyle and dietary measures alone. Obesity, nutrient sparse foods such as concentrated sugars and refined flour products that contribute to impaired glucose metabolism (which leads to diabetes), low fiber intake, consumption of red meat, and imbalance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats all contribute to excess cancer risk. Intake of flax seed, especially its lignan fraction, and abundant portions of fruits and vegetables will lower cancer risk. Allium and cruciferous vegetables are especially beneficial, with broccoli sprouts being the densest source of sulforophane. Protective elements in a cancer prevention diet include selenium, folic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, chlorophyll, and antioxidants such as the carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin). Ascorbic acid has limited benefits orally, but could be very beneficial intravenously. Supplementary use of oral digestive enzymes and probiotics also has merit as anticancer dietary measures. When a diet is compiled according to the guidelines here it is likely that there would be at least a 60-70 percent decrease in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, and even a 40-50 percent decrease in lung cancer, along with similar reductions in cancers at other sites. Such a diet would be conducive to preventing cancer and would favor recovery from cancer as well.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Plant foods, antioxidants, and prostate cancer risk: findings from case-control studies in Canada.

Epidemiological data on most cancer sites suggest that consumption of plant foods, which contain high levels of antioxidants, might slow or prevent the appearance of cancer. We used data from three case-control studies to test this hypothesis. The total study population consisted of 617 incident cases of prostate cancer and 636 population controls from Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Dietary information was collected by an in-person interview with a detailed quantitative dietary history. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A decreasing, statistically significant association was found with increasing intakes of green vegetables (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.40-0.71 for 4th quartile), tomatoes (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.45-0.91), beans/lentils/nuts (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.53-0.91), and cruciferous vegetables (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52-0.91 for 3rd quartile). Higher intakes of fruit were associated with higher ORs (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.14-2.01 for 4th quartile), an effect that was seen for total fruit and citrus fruit, as well as for all other noncitrus fruits. Among the grains, refined-grain bread intake was associated with a decrease in risk (OR = 0.65 for 4th quartile), whereas whole-grain breakfast cereals were associated with a higher risk for prostate cancer. Of all the antioxidant nutrients studied, the ORs were higher with higher intakes of cryptoxanthin (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.09-1.89 for 4th quartile). Exposure to certain dietary components of plant origin, which are potentially modifiable, indicates the theoretical scope for reducing the risk from prostate cancer. Future experimental studies or trials are warranted for further understanding.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Vegetables, fruits, related dietary antioxidants, and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a case-control study in Uruguay.

In 1998-1999, a case-control study on esophageal cancer was conducted in Uruguay. For this purpose, 111 cases with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and 444 controls with conditions unrelated to tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, or recent changes in the diet were frequency matched on age, gender, residence, and urban/rural status. Vegetables and, more markedly, fruits were associated with strong reductions in risk. On the other hand, 12 of 15 dietary antioxidants displayed significant inverse associations with esophageal cancer risk. The strongest effect was observed for high intake of beta-cryptoxanthin (odds ratio = 0.16, 95% confidence interval = 0.08-0.36). Also, alpha-carotene, lycopene, and beta-sitosterol were associated with significant reductions in risk. Most antioxidants lost their effect when they were further adjusted for a term for all vegetables and fruits. beta-Carotene showed an increased risk with high intakes. On the other hand, vegetables and fruits remained as significant variables after adjustment for each antioxidant, suggesting that other substances or other mechanisms could explain this effect.

Aged↗