Among these foods, the citrus tangerines and sweet oranges are considered the main contributors of BCX to the diet in many countries due to their high consumption both as fresh fruit and juice. The main dietary sources of BCX are fruits and vegetables however, only a small number contain significant amounts of BCX the most common foods rich in this xanthophyll are: sweet red pepper and hot chili peppers, pumpkins, papaya, persimmons, tangerines and sweet oranges, peaches, and sweet corn. Moreover, several studies suggest that BCX has a relative high bioavailability from common food sources and conversion to retinol can be comparable to that of β-carotene. Xanthophyll β-cryptoxanthin is a major dietary pro-vitamin A carotenoid, the most important pro-vitamin A xanthophyll in the diet and commonly found in human plasma. Xanthophyll β-cryptoxanthin (BCX)-also known as 3-hydroxy-β-carotene ((3R)-β,β-caroten-3-ol)-is primarily synthetized in higher plants by non-heme di-iron β-carotene hydroxylases adding a hydroxyl group at the C3 position of the β-carotene ring. Collectively, this study provides new in vivo evidence of the potential therapeutic use of BCX in the prevention of diseases related to metabolic syndrome and aging.
Furthermore, a transcriptomic analysis of wild-type nematodes supplemented with BCX revealed upregulation of the energy metabolism, response to stress, and protein homeostasis as the main metabolic targets of this xanthophyll. Moreover, a comparative analysis with other carotenoids, such as lycopene and β-carotene, showed a stronger effect of BCX. Dose-response assays provided evidence of the efficacy of BCX at very low dose (0.025 µg/mL) ( p < 0.001) on these processes.
The Caenorhabditis elegans model was used to analyze in vivo the activity of BCX on fat reduction and protection to oxidative stress. In spite of the evidence, the molecular mechanisms of action of BCX need to be further investigated.
Several studies showed the beneficial effects of BCX on different aspects of human health. Β-Cryptoxanthin (BCX) is a major dietary pro-vitamin A carotenoid, found mainly in fruits and vegetables.
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