linoleic-acid and astaxanthine

Most natural astaxanthin is fatty acid-esterified in microalgae to prevent oxidation. However, the factors influencing astaxanthin esterification (AE) are poorly understood. In this study, obstacles to AE in Coelastrum sp. HA-1 were investigated. Only half of the astaxanthin molecules in HA-1 were esterified, but AE was stimulated with exogenous linoleic acid (LA) and ethanol treatment. Astaxanthin esters and total astaxanthin (TA) with exogenous LA were elevated to 3.82-fold and 2.18-fold of control levels, respectively. Treatment with 3% (v/v) ethanol enhanced transcription of the Δ12 fatty acid desaturase gene, which caused more oleic acid (OA) to be converted to LA. Furthermore, the contents of astaxanthin esters and TA were 2.42-fold and 1.61-fold control levels, respectively. These findings confirmed that AE was upregulated by increasing LA content. Thus, a large concentration of OA alone does not increase astaxanthin accumulation in HA-1, and a certain amount of LA was necessary for AE.

Topics: Esterification; Fatty Acids; Linoleic Acid; Xanthophylls

Newly identified spore-forming pigmented marine bacteria, Bacillus indicus HU36 and Bacillus firmus GB1, are sources of carotenoids (mainly 15 yellow and orange pigments and 13 pink pigments, respectively) with original structures. These bacterial carotenoids were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the iron-induced peroxidation of linoleic acid micelles, or sunflower oil-in-water emulsions, in comparison with β-carotene, lycopene and astaxanthin. Lipid peroxidation was carried out in acidic conditions and initiated by dietary heme or non-heme iron (metmyoglobin or Fe(II), respectively) so as to simply simulate the postprandial gastric medium, a possible site for dietary oxidative stress. Lipid hydroperoxide formation and carotenoid consumption were followed by UV-vis spectroscopy and appropriate indicators of the antioxidant activity were estimated in each model. The bacterial carotenoids were found to be better inhibitors of heme-induced lipid peroxidation than the reference carotenoids as a likely consequence of their location closer to the interface in micelles and lipid droplets. However, this trend was not confirmed in lipid peroxidation induced by non-heme iron, possibly because of the redox recycling of Fe(II) by carotenoids. The quantitative kinetic analysis of the peroxidation curves suggests that the carotenoids mainly inhibit the propagation phase of lipid peroxidation by direct scavenging of the lipid peroxyl radicals, in agreement with independent experiments showing that carotenoids are unable to reduce the one-electron oxidized form of metmyoglobin (ferrylmyoglobin), a model of initiating species in heme-induced lipid peroxidation. Overall, carotenoids from Bacillus indicus HU36 and Bacillus firmus GB1 were found to be interesting antioxidants to fight postprandial oxidative stress in the stomach.

Topics: Antioxidants; Bacillus; beta Carotene; Carotenoids; Gastric Mucosa; Humans; Iron; Linoleic Acid; Lipid Peroxidation; Lycopene; Metmyoglobin; Micelles; Models, Theoretical; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Peroxides; Postprandial Period; Stomach; Xanthophylls