Xanthophyll Esters in Human Skin

doi:10.1006/abbi.1998.0734

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Volume 355, Issue 2, 15 July 1998, Pages 271-274

https://doi.org/10.1006/abbi.1998.0734 Get rights and content

Abstract

Carotenol fatty acid esters in various fruits and vegetables are sources of carotenoids for humans and are cleaved during intestinal absorption to yield the parent xanthophyll. In the present study we demonstrate that low amounts of carotenol esters are present in human skin. Eighteen different carotenol fatty acid esters were separated in extracts from human skin by means of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. After saponification of tissue samples, lutein, zeaxanthin, 2′,3′-anhydrolutein, α-cryptoxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin were identified as the major parent carotenoids. Based on comparison with synthetic reference compounds, several carotenol mono- and di-fatty acid esters were tentatively assigned, ranging from linoleate to stearate; the levels are low, in the range of pmol/g human skin, i.e., several orders of magnitude lower than that of β-carotene. Carotenol esters in human skin may be formed by reesterification of xanthophylls following absorption. Also, very small amounts of esters may circulate in the blood and subsequently accumulate in tissues such as skin.

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Citation Excerpt :
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^☆: The study has been supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie (Bonn) and the European Community Agriculture and Fisheries Research Programme (Brussels).

^☆☆: Machlin, L. J.

²: To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: +49 211 81 13029. E-mail:[email protected].

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Regular ArticleXanthophyll Esters in Human Skin☆,☆☆

Abstract

J. Am. Diet. Assoc.

Arch. Biochem. Biophys.

Anal. Biochem.

J. Nutr.

J. Invest. Dermatol.

J. Invest. Dermatol.

FASEB J.

Regular Article
Xanthophyll Esters in Human Skin☆,☆☆