Microalgal carotenoids and phytosterols regulate biochemical mechanisms involved in human health and disease prevention.

Microalgal carotenoids and phytosterols regulate biochemical mechanisms involved in human health and disease prevention. Biochimie. 2019 Sep 20;: Authors: Le Goff M, Le Ferrec E, Mayer C, Mimouni V, Lagadic-Gossmann D, Schoefs B, Ulmann L Abstract Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that produce numerous bioactive molecules that can be used as food supplement to prevent chronic disease installation. Indeed, they produce phycobiliproteins, polysaccharides, lipids, carotenoids and sterolic compounds. The use of microalgae in human nutrition provide a mixture of these molecules with synergistic effect. The aim of this review is to present the specific roles played by the xanthophylls, and specifically astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, two high added value carotenoids, and by microalgal phytosterols such as β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol on several cell mechanisms involved in the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases and cancers. This review explains how these microalgal molecules modulate cell signaling pathways involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms, inflammation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis. Xanthophylls and phytosterols are involved in the reduction of inflammatory markers in relation with the regulation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinases and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways, and suppression of production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Xanthophylls act on glucose and lipid metabolisms via both t...
Source: Biochimie - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Biochimie Source Type: research