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Beta-carotene
 
 
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ß-Carotene is an organic compound
Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered Inorganic compound....
 - a terpenoid
Terpenoid

The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic compound similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways....
, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene
Carotene

The term carotene is used for several related substances having the formula C40Hx, which are synthesized by plants but cannot be made by animals....
 with ß-rings at both ends, it is the most common form of carotene. It is a precursor (inactive form) of vitamin A
Vitamin A

Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....
. Being highly conjugated, it is deeply colored, and as a hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon

In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "pure" hydrocarbons, whereas other hydrocarbons with bonded com...
 lacking functional groups, it is very lipophilic
Lipophilic

Lipophilicity, , refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene....
.

The structure was deduced by Karrer et al. In nature, ß-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A via the action of beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase
Beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase

In enzymology, a beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase is an enzyme that catalysis the chemical reactionThus, the two substrate of this enzyme are beta-carotene and oxygen, whereas its product is retinal....
.






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Encyclopedia


ß-Carotene is an organic compound
Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered Inorganic compound....
 - a terpenoid
Terpenoid

The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic compound similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways....
, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene
Carotene

The term carotene is used for several related substances having the formula C40Hx, which are synthesized by plants but cannot be made by animals....
 with ß-rings at both ends, it is the most common form of carotene. It is a precursor (inactive form) of vitamin A
Vitamin A

Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....
. Being highly conjugated, it is deeply colored, and as a hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon

In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "pure" hydrocarbons, whereas other hydrocarbons with bonded com...
 lacking functional groups, it is very lipophilic
Lipophilic

Lipophilicity, , refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene....
.

The structure was deduced by Karrer et al. In nature, ß-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A via the action of beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase
Beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase

In enzymology, a beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase is an enzyme that catalysis the chemical reactionThus, the two substrate of this enzyme are beta-carotene and oxygen, whereas its product is retinal....
. ß-Carotene is also the substance in carrots that colours them orange. ß-Carotenoid is biosynthesized from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate
Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is an intermediate in the HMG-CoA reductase pathway used by organisms in the biosynthesis of terpenes and terpenoids....
.

Pro-vitamin A activity and sources in the diet

Plant carotenoids are the primary dietary source of pro-vitamin A worldwide. The most efficient pro-vitamin A carotenoid is ß-carotene, which is abundant in Vietnam Gac
GAC

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 (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng), crude palm oil
Palm oil

Palm oil is an edible Vegetable fats and oils derived from the fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis oil palm. Previously the second-most widely produced edible oil, after soybean oil, 28 million tonnes were produced worldwide in 2004....
, yellow and orange fruits, such as mangoes and papayas, orange root vegetables such as carrots and yams and in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, sweet potato leaves, and sweet gourd leaves. Vietnam gac
GAC

selfref|For Wikipedia's good article promotion process, see...
 and crude palm oil
Palm oil

Palm oil is an edible Vegetable fats and oils derived from the fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis oil palm. Previously the second-most widely produced edible oil, after soybean oil, 28 million tonnes were produced worldwide in 2004....
 have by far the highest content of ß-carotene of any known fruit or vegetable, 10 times higher than carrots for example. However, Gac
GAC

selfref|For Wikipedia's good article promotion process, see...
 is quite rare and unknown outside its native region of SE Asia, and crude palm oil
Palm oil

Palm oil is an edible Vegetable fats and oils derived from the fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis oil palm. Previously the second-most widely produced edible oil, after soybean oil, 28 million tonnes were produced worldwide in 2004....
 is typically processed to remove the cartenoids before sale to improve the color and clarity.

Side effects

The most common side effect of excessive ß-carotene consumption is carotenodermia, a harmless condition that presents as a conspicuous orange skin tint arising from deposition of the carotenoid in the outermost layer of the epidermis
Epidermis (skin)

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin, composed of terminally differentiated stratified squamous epithelium, acting as the body's major barrier against an inhospitable environment....
. High doses of ß-carotene have been associated with increased rate of lung cancer
Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissue of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs....
 among those who smoke.

See also

  • lutein
    Lutein

    Lutein is one of over 600 known naturally occurring carotenoids. Found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, lutein is employed by organisms as an antioxidant and for blue light absorption....
  • Vitamin A
    Vitamin A

    Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....


External links

  • - Fatty Acids and Carotenoids in Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng) Fruit.