The eye is a major sensory organ that requires special care for a healthy and productive lifestyle Numerous studies have identified lutein and zeaxanthin to be essential components for eye health Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoid pigments that impart yellow or orange color to various common foods such as cantaloupe, pasta, corn, carrots, orange/yellow peppers, fish, salmon and eggs Their role in human health, in particular the health of the eye, is well established from epidemiological, clinical and interventional studies They constitute the main pigments found in the yellow spot of the human retina which protect the macula from damage by blue light, improve visual acuity and scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species They have also been linked with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts Research over the past decade has focused on the development of carotenoid-rich foods to boost their intake especially in the elderly population The aim of this article is to review recent scientific evidences supporting the benefits of lutein and zexanthin in preventing the onset of two major age-related eye diseases with diets rich in these carotenoids The review also lists major dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin and refers to newly developed foods, daily intake, bioavailability and physiological effects in relation to eye health Examples of the newly developed high-lutein functional foods are also underlined

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Dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids and their role in eye health.

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Carotenoids and tocols of einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum L.)

The current study was undertaken to provide solutions to optimize the unsaponifiable antioxidants content of bread. We report a complete description of changes in wheat carotenoids and vitamin E content from grain to bread and highlight the most important processing steps affecting their level in wheat bread. Major carotenoids losses occurred during kneading. A close correlation (r(2) = 0.97; P = 0.05) was found between carotenoid pigment losses and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, both parameters depending on wheat genotype. The use of wheat species exhibiting high carotenoid contents and low LOX activity was shown to preserve significant carotenoid level in the bread. No relation was found between vitamin E losses during doughmaking and LOX activity. In addition, moderate kneading resulted in higher vitamin E retention in comparison with carotenoids (12% and 66% losses, respectively). It is concluded that carotenoids are more susceptible to oxidation by endogenous lipoxygenase than vitamin E during breadmaking. This study showed that bread nutritional quality, in terms of antioxidant content, could be improved by selecting suitable cereal genotypes, if this potential is preserved by milling and baking processes.

Wheat lipoxygenase activity induces greater loss of carotenoids than vitamin E during breadmaking.

Do “ancient” wheat species differ from modern bread wheat in their contents of bioactive components?

Two pigmented wheat genotypes (blue and purple) and two black barley genotypes were fractionated in bran and flour fractions, examined, and compared for their free radical scavenging properties against 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical cation (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, TEAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic acid composition, carotenoid composition, and total anthocyanin content. The results showed that fractionation has a significant influence on the antioxidant properties, TPC, anthocyanin and carotenoid contents, and phenolic acid composition. Bran fractions had the greatest antioxidant activities (1.9-2.3 mmol TEAC/100 g) in all four grain genotypes and were 3-5-fold higher than the respective flour fractions (0.4-0.7 mmol TEAC/100 g). Ferulic acid was the predominant phenolic acid in wheat genotypes (bran fractions) while p-coumaric acid was the predominant phenolic acid in the bran fractions of barley genotypes. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis detected the presence of lutein and zeaxanthin in all fractions with different distribution patterns within the genotypes. The highest contents of anthocyanins were found in the middlings of black barley genotypes or in the shorts of blue and purple wheat. These data suggest the possibility to improve the antioxidant release from cereal-based food through selection of postharvest treatments.

Phytochemical profile of main antioxidants in different fractions of purple and blue wheat, and black barley

L'Einkorn est un ble diploide (Triticum monococcum L.) contenant des taux eleves de proteines et presentant une pigmentation jaune. Il permettrait la fabrication de produits de cuissons enrichis en carotenoides et en proteines. Des bles riches en carotenoides, et plus particulierement en luteine, sont etudies, en vue de produire des produits cerealiers possedant des activites fonctionnelles.

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J. C. Young

Papers

Einkorn: A Potential Candidate for Developing High Lutein Wheat