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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Xanthophylls: from blood to retina

subject

description

Xanthophylls are dietary lipophilic compounds. Among them, lutein and zeaxanthin are the major carotenoids found in the human lens and retina, and referred as macular pigment within the retina. Lutein and zeaxanthin cannot be synthesized endogenously. They may therefore be considered as essential and must be provided by adequate dietary intakes. Lutein and zeaxanthin are present in various food items, mainly in plants and fruits such as green vegetables or yellow-orange fruits, as well as in a few animal sources, such as egg yolk. Epidemiological studies consistently suggest that dietary lutein and zeaxanthin are protective factors against the development of Age-Related Maculopathies and Age-related Macular Degeneration. Intervention trials consisting in supplementing the diet with lutein and zeaxanthin demonstrate the bioavailability of those carotenoids in plasma and, in some of them, their efficacy in increasing the density of the macular pigment. An overview will be presented on the mechanisms of xanthophyll bioavailability in blood and retina.