Research conducted by scientists at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Seville in Spain, in cooperation with the team of Dr. Marina Ezcurra at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, revealed that the carotenoid phytoene increases the lifespan of roundworms, an animal model used to study Alzheimer’s disease, and can also slow the onset of paralysis. Associated with the formation of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.
These results were published in the journal Antioxidants on July 31.
Carotenoid phytoin
Carotenoids are common and versatile compounds, from which other compounds known as apocarotenoids are made.
Both carotenoids and apocarotenoids play key roles in processes essential for plant growth and resilience. Carotenoids also act as pigments that contribute to the colors of many vegetables and fruits, and as important nutrients in foods, for example producing vitamin A.
Many studies indicate that carotenoids possess health-promoting properties that contribute to alleviating or reducing the risk of various diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, skin and bone conditions, eye disorders, metabolic disorders, cognitive decline, and others.
These compounds can contribute to improving skin health, color and other aesthetic parameters, and thus carotenoids are of great interest in the development of a variety of products intended for human consumption, including foods, health products, nutritional supplements, botanical preparations, cosmetics or nutraceuticals.
Veton is a carotenoid but, unlike most other carotenoids, it is colorless, does not contribute to the characteristic colors of carotenoid-rich foods, and is generally viewed as a raw material with no biological activity in the human body.
Phytoin is found in foods such as tomatoes, carrots, apricots, red peppers, oranges, and passion fruit. It is a compound that is efficiently absorbed and found in many tissues, including the skin, as studies indicate that it can protect against ultraviolet rays.
Algae
The researchers tested pure phytoin and extracts rich in this carotenoid extracted from microalgae.
An increase in the longevity of roundworms by between 10 and 18.6% and a reduction in the toxic effect of proteins found in amyloid plaques by between 30 and 40% were observed.
Researcher Dr. Paula Mapelli Bram from the University of Seville says – according to the Eurek Alert website – “These are very exciting preliminary results, and we are seeking funding to continue this line of research and find out the mechanisms through which these effects are produced.”
Roundworms to study Alzheimer’s
In 1965 Sidney Brenner chose roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) as a model organism to study animal evolution and behavior for reasons that are now well known.
These worms, which live in the soil, offered great potential for genetic analysis, in part because of their fast life cycle (3 days), small size (1.5 mm in length as adults), and ease of culture in the laboratory.