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Societal Impact Statement: Escobedia grandiflora is a medicinal hemiparasite that occurs naturally in non‐forested communities in Central and South America. Parasitic plants accumulate high levels of a water‐soluble orange pigment in roots that was once among the most important food dyes in the Andean region. We conclusively address the chemical identification of this pigment and provide molecular and cellular insights on its biosynthesis and possible function. Summary: The herbaceous hemiparasite Escobedia grandiflora (Orobanchaceae) is used in traditional medicine in the Andean region. Escobedia roots accumulate high levels of an orange pigment with a significant relevance as a cooking dye that exhibits antioxidant and cardioprotective properties. Here, we aimed to confirm the chemical identity of the pigment and investigate its biosynthesis and function in Escobedia roots.We combined metabolic and cytological analyses with de novo transcriptome assembly, gene expression studies, and phylogenetic analyses.The pigment was conclusively shown to be azafrin, an apocarotenoid likely derived from the cleavage of β‐carotene. RNA‐seq supported by multispecies comparative transcriptome analysis and qRT‐PCR allowed to propose candidate genes for the production of azafrin in Escobedia roots. We also showed that azafrin is delivered to the root apoplast and that it accumulates in the area where the Escobedia haustorium contacts the host's root.Our data suggest that azafrin production might rely on a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) different from CCD7 and that this apocarotenoid might function in the parasitism process. Together, our work represents an unprecedented step forward in our understanding of the Escobedia parasitization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoids are pigmented compounds acquired through diet that have important functions as antioxidants and immune modulators. We studied the association between immunity and circulating carotenoids in Andean condors (Vultur gryphus). We evaluated the relationship between α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin blood concentrations and different circulating carotenoids in two groups of Andean condors that differ in their mean health status, rehabilitating (suffering different pathologies), and wild individuals (trapped when displaying their physiological behavior). In rehabilitating individuals, α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin concentrations were higher than in wild individuals. This shows that rehabilitating individuals were developing an immune response associated with the pathologies that they were suffering at the time of sampling. In addition, circulating carotenoids were lower in rehabilitating than in wild individuals. We found negative correlations between α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulins and different circulating carotenoids in rehabilitating individuals, but not in wild condors. Xanthophylls were strongly related to α‐, β‐, and γ‐globulin blood concentrations in rehabilitating, but not in wild condors. Our results suggest that there is a potential relationship between circulating carotenoids and immunity in the Andean condor. Given that this species may display a carotenoid‐based pigmentation, our results could suggest that a trade‐off between the immune system and external coloration could operate in this species, which may have implications in their access to food resources and mate selection and, thus, in their conservation. HIGHLIGHTS: Wild and rehabilitating condors differed in their health status.We found negative correlations between globulins and blood carotenoids in rehabilitating, but not in wild condors.We suggest a relationship between blood carotenoids and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Alcoholic fermentation of fruits has generated novel products with high concentrations of bioactive compounds and moderate alcohol content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effect on cardiovascular risk factors of the regular consumption by healthy humans of a beverage obtained by alcoholic fermentation and pasteurization of orange juice. RESULTS: Thirty healthy volunteers were enrolled in a randomized controlled study. The experimental group (n = 15) drank 500 mL orange beverage (OB) per day for 2 weeks (intervention phase), followed by a 3‐week washout phase. Blood samples were collected at baseline (E‐T0) and at the end of the intervention (E‐T1) and washout (E‐T2) phases. Controls (n = 15) did not consume OB during a 2‐week period. OB intake significantly increased oxygen radical absorbance capacity (43.9%) and reduced uric acid (−8.9%), catalase (CAT) (−23.2%), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (−30.2%) and C‐reactive protein (−2.1%) (E‐T1 vs. E‐T0). These effects may represent longer‐term benefits, given the decreased uric acid (−8.9%), CAT (−34.6%), TBARS (−48.4%) and oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (−23.9%) values recorded after the washout phase (E‐T2 vs. E‐T0). CONCLUSION: The regular consumption of OB improved antioxidant status and decreased inflammation state, lipid peroxidation and uric acid levels. Thus OB may protect the cardiovascular system in healthy humans and be considered a novel functional beverage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High irradiances may lead to photooxidative stress in plants, and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) contributes to protection against excess excitation. One of the NPQ mechanisms, qE, involves thermal dissipation of the light energy captured. Importantly, plants need to tune down qE under light-limiting conditions for efficient utilization of the available quanta. Considering the possible redox control of responses to excess light implying enzymes, such as thioredoxins, we have studied the role of the NADPH thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC). Whereas Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking NTRC tolerate high light intensities, these plants display drastically elevated qE, have larger trans-thylakoid ΔpH and have 10-fold higher zeaxanthin levels under low and medium light intensities, leading to extremely low linear electron transport rates. To test the impact of the high qE on plant growth, we generated an ntrc-psbs double-knockout mutant, which is devoid of qE. This double mutant grows faster than the ntrc mutant and has a higher chlorophyll content. The photosystem II activity is partially restored in the ntrc-psbs mutant, and linear electron transport rates under low and medium light intensities are twice as high as compared with plants lacking ntrc alone. These data uncover a new role for NTRC in the control of photosynthetic yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because large species ingest proportionally less food than small ones, it may be predicted that they should incorporate relatively fewer carotenoids to a proportionally equal volume of blood. However, some species may increase their levels of circulating carotenoids by ingesting unusual food. We tested whether the plasma concentration of carotenoids scales to the three-quarter power of mass in nine predatory and scavenger raptor species. No significant allometric relationships were found due to the unusually high concentrations of carotenoids in the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus and the Andean condor Vultur gryphus. To assess whether these two species deviate from the allometric rule through the exploitation of unusual sources of carotenoids, or due to a physiological adaptation to improve the uptake of carotenoids, we determined allometric patterns in individuals of these two species kept in captivity with an exclusive diet of flesh. Our results provided support for the allometric rule because the slope of the allometric equation did not differ from a three-quarter exponent when carotenoid levels of the two outliers were replaced by those of captive birds. This adjustment to the allometric rule suggests a lack of any physiological adaptation to improve the uptake of the low concentrations of carotenoids contained in flesh. Differences between species in carotenoid incorporation into the bloodstream may be ultimately due to contrasting evolutionary history, physiology and associated colour-signalling strategies, but proximately due to the acquisition of these micronutrients from both usual and unusual dietary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color quality is the economical key factor for oily extracts, also referred to as oleoresins, obtained from carotenogenic fruits and vegetables for application in foodstuffs. However, this organoleptic property is not the only attribute as carotenoids develop some bioactive actions, which provide a beneficial effect on health. It has been suggested that reaching some oxidation level during processing enhances the antioxidant activity of phytochemicals, including carotenoids, so that knowledge of the impact of thermal processing in the redox state and antioxidant activity is significant. During thermal degradation of carotenoids in tomato and paprika oleoresins the coloring content, redox state and antioxidant capacity were evaluated. The lipid profile and tocopherol content were similar in both oily extracts but significant differences were observed on functional properties derived from carotenoid activity. The initial antioxidant capacity was similar for both carotenoid extracts, tomato oleoresin kept higher antioxidant capacity values (DPPH test) than paprika oleoresin, although the degradation rate was significantly higher for lycopene, while carotenoids of paprika oleoresin degraded slowly. Paprika oleoresin showed a higher antioxidant activity (hydrogen peroxide test) than tomato oleoresin. Carotenoid degradation products may participate on radical scavenging reactions but efficiency depends on the radical species and structure of degradation products produced during thermal degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and sensitive ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric method for determination of peroxide value (PV) in foods with high carotenoid content (e.g., paprika oleoresin, paprika powder, red palm oil) has been developed. The proposed protocol [modified International Dairy Federation (IDF) method] was established from the IDF Fe(II)-oxidation-based spectrophotometric method, and the main one of the introduced modifications consisted of a clean-up extraction step of pigments before determining the PV by complexing Fe(III) ions with thiocyanate. Fe(II) oxidation time, reaction medium, and Fe(III)-thiocyanate complex formation time were optimized. The modified IDF method was compared with and was validated by iodometric AOAC official method with a good correlation ( R 2=0.957) between data obtained by both analytical methods. The high sensitivity of the method allows the use of only about 0.010–0.015 g of sample, with a detection limit of 0.044 mequiv peroxide/kg of sample. Therefore, an improved spectrophotometric method for assessing PV in food lipids with high carotenoid content is now available and can be applied to any kind of sample, independent of oil and pigment content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tritordeum is the new cereal derived from crosses between the wild barley Hordeum chilense Roem. et Schultz. and either durum or bread wheat, resulting in hexaploid and octoploid tritordeums, respectively. The success of tritordeum as a crop depends on the effectiveness of its breeding programme. In this work, new advanced tritordeum lines are screened for grain carotenoid content and disease susceptibility to analyse the impact of the current breeding strategies and to identify their strengths and putative limitations for future challenges. We conclude that selection for grain carotenoid content, the main strength for the tritordeum commercialization, should be reinforced not only by using the diversity of H. chilense but also incorporating beneficial alleles from durum wheat. Furthermore, genes for stem rust resistance from the A and B wheat genomes must be incorporated into tritordeum breeding programme. Finally, when selecting for threshability, tritordeums without chromosome substitutions should be preferentially selected using a marker‐assisted selection approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study confirms that N,N-dimethylformamide for the extraction of chloroplast pigments from vegetable tissues shows no differences from the usual acetone or methanol. Therefore, it can be applied to fats, as it allows separation of lipids and pigments by means of phase distribution between light petroleum ether and N,N-dimethylformamide. The ether phase retains the decolored fatty matter, and the pigments dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide can be recovered totally unaltered. This method has been applied to oleoresins and oils from different products and origins. Satisfactory results have been obtained in terms of the degree of decoloration and the percentage of oil recovered. At the same time, the unaltered pigment concentrate obtained from the hypophase could be used as a color enhancer in the chemico-pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]