Synonym name: Betacarotene, Carotaben; Phenoro; Solatene; Beta,Beta-Carotene; Provatene
Catalogue No.: BP0318
Cas No.: 7235-40-7
Formula: C40H56
Mol Weight: 536.888
Botanical Source: Widespread in plant and animal kingdoms. In plants it is almost always associated with chlorophyll. Occurs in marine organisms, e.g. sponges, esp. of the Poecilosclerida and Axinellida.
Purity: 95%~99%
Analysis Method: HPLC-DAD or/and HPLC-ELSD
Identification Method: Mass, NMR
Packing: Brown vial or HDPE plastic bottle
Can be supplied from milligrams to grams.
For Reference Standard and R&D, Not for Human Use Directly.
Inquire for bulk scale.
HPLC of Beta-Carotene
Storage conditions：Short-term storage at 2~8℃, long-term storage at -20 ~ -80℃
β-Carotene (Beta-Carotene), CAS number 7235-40-7, is a carotenoid natural compound widely found in nature, widely studied for its remarkable red-orange pigment properties. As the most important and active provitamin A carotenoids, β-carotene is not only a vital source of vitamin A for the human body but also attracts attention for its powerful antioxidant properties and diverse biological functions. In recent years, with deeper understanding of the roles of free radical damage and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of various diseases, the potential of β-carotene in antioxidant damage, mitoptosis inhibition, and cell protection has been widely explored.
This paper aims to systematically review the chemical structure and physicochemical properties of β-carotene, plant origin, and extraction methods. Combined with the latest pharmacological activity studies, it deeply analyzes its mechanism of action and molecular targets, evaluates its druggability and pharmacokinetic characteristics, and anticipates its potential and challenges in clinical application, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and research direction for natural product pharmacology and related clinical research.
β-carotene is a cyclic carotenoid composed of 40 carbon atoms, structurally connected by two β-terminal rings connected by a long conjugated double-bond chain, forming a total trans configuration. This highly conjugated polyene structure gives it strong red-orange pigment characteristics, while also giving it excellent light absorption and electron transfer capabilities. β-carotene has a molecular formula of C_40H_56, a molecular weight of 536.87, and a LogP value as high as 12.7, demonstrating its extremely strong hydrophobicity. Its topological pole surface area (TPSA) is zero, and it lacks hydrogen bond acceptors, indicating that its molecular structure lacks polar groups.
In terms of physicochemical properties, β-carotene is insoluble in water but easily soluble in organic solvents such as hexane, ethanol, and carbon tetrachloride. Its high hydrophobicity limits its solubility and bioavailability in living organisms, but it also promotes its accumulation in lipid environments. β-carotene is sensitive to light, heat, and oxygen, and is prone to isomerization and oxidative degradation. Therefore, during extraction, storage, and application, attention must be paid to light, low temperature, and antioxidant conditions.
β-carotene is widely found in various plants, fruits, vegetables, and algae, especially abundant in red-orange or dark green plants such as carrots, pumpkins, bell peppers, spinach, kale, and tomatoes. Plants synthesize β-carotene through carotenoid biosynthesis pathways, acting as photosynthetic pigments and antioxidants to protect plant cells from photooxidative damage.
Traditional methods for extracting β-carotene mainly include solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and enzyme-assisted extraction. Solvent extraction uses organic solvents such as hexane and ethanol to extract plant raw materials. The operation is simple but presents solvent residue and environmental pollution issues. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technology has gradually become the preferred choice for industrial extraction due to its advantages of no solvent residue, strong selectivity, and environmental friendliness. Enzyme-assisted extraction promotes β-carotene release by degrading plant cell walls, improving extraction efficiency and purity. In addition, the recent application of nanotechnology and membrane separation technology has provided new ideas for efficient extraction and purification of β-carotene.
The pharmacological activity of β-carotene mainly comes from its antioxidant capacity and function as a vitamin A precursor. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that β-carotene can effectively eliminate free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and protect the integrity of cell membranes, thereby reducing cell damage caused by oxidative stress.
As a natural antioxidant, β-carotene reduces oxidative damage by capturing singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. Its mechanism involves activating the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NFE2L2/NRF2) signaling pathway, inducing the expression of downstream antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD1, SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), and heme oxidase 1 (HMOX1), thereby enhancing the intracellular antioxidant defense system.
Ferroptosis is a novel form of programmed cell death, mainly triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. β-carotene, as a fat-soluble antioxidant, can effectively inhibit lipid peroxidation, slow down the ferroptosis process, and protect cells from oxidative damage. Related studies show that β-carotene exerts its inhibitory effect on ferroptosis by regulating intracellular iron homeostasis and antioxidant enzyme activity, offering potential neuroprotective and tumor therapeutic value.
β-carotene can be converted into retinol (vitamin A) in the human body, which participates in physiological processes such as visual function, immune regulation, and cell differentiation. Vitamin A deficiency is closely related to night blindness, immunodeficiency, and skin lesions. Supplementing with β-carotene is considered an important strategy for preventing and treating vitamin A deficiency.
In addition to antioxidant and vitamin A precursor functions, β-carotene also exhibits anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antitumor activities. Research shows that β-carotene can regulate the expression of inflammatory factors, inhibit pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, and alleviate chronic inflammatory states. Additionally, β-carotene demonstrates certain anti-cancer potential by regulating cell cycle and apoptosis-related genes.
The biological effects of β-carotene are mainly realized by regulating redox balance and signal transduction pathways. Its key molecular targets are mainly concentrated in antioxidant defense systems and cytoprotection-related proteins.
NFE2L2 (nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, NRF2) is the main transcription factor for antioxidant stress within cells. β-carotene can activate NRF2, promoting its cytoplasmic translocation to the nucleus, binding to antioxidant reaction elements (AREs) and inducing the expression of downstream antioxidant enzyme genes such as SOD1, SOD2, CAT, GPX1, and HMOX1, thereby enhancing cellular antioxidant capacity and reducing oxidative damage.
β-carotene regulates the activities of key antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD1, SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), and heme oxidase 1 (HMOX1), promoting the clearance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis.
The occurrence of ferroptosis depends on intracellular iron ion levels and lipid peroxidation. β-carotene inhibits lipid peroxidation and regulates iron-metabolism-related proteins, reducing iron overload and ROS generation, blocking the ferrodeath signaling pathway, and protecting cells from oxidative damage.
β-carotene is catalyzed by the cleavage of β-carotene-15,15'-bioxygenase (BCMO1) in intestinal epithelial cells to produce retinol, participating in vitamin A metabolism. Retinol is further converted into retinal and retinoic acid, regulating physiological functions such as visual conduction, gene expression, and cell differentiation.
β-carotene has a molecular weight of 536.87 and a LogP value as high as 12.7, indicating its extremely strong hydrophobicity, TPSA of 0, and the absence of hydrogen bond acceptors, indicating extremely low polarity. These characteristics result in extremely low solubility of β-carotene in aqueous environments, limiting its oral absorption and bioavailability. Additionally, β-carotene cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, suggesting its limited direct effect on the central nervous system.
Toxicological evaluation showed that β-carotene had low acute toxicity, an LD50 of about 10,000 mg/kg, and showed no hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, or hERG channel inhibition. The Ames-induced mutagenic test was negative, indicating high safety.
The absorption of β-carotene depends on the presence of dietary fats and enters intestinal epithelial cells through bile salt-mediated liposome formation. Some of it is converted into retinol in the intestines, while the rest enters the circulatory system in its original form or as a metabolite. Due to its high hydrophobicity, β-carotene is mainly distributed in adipose tissue and the liver, and has a relatively long half-life in the body.
Metabolic pathways mainly include oxidative cleavage and esterification; some β-carotene can be converted into retinol in the body, participating in vitamin A metabolism. Its excretion is mainly through bile and feces, with less excretion from the kidneys. The bioavailability of β-carotene is greatly influenced by individual dietary structure, fat intake, and gut health status.
β-carotene, as a precursor to vitamin A and a natural antioxidant, has been widely used in preventing vitamin A deficiency, improving visual function, and boosting immunity. Its high safety and abundant sources make it an important ingredient in dietary supplements and functional foods.
In recent years, the potential of β-carotene in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases has gradually become apparent. Its antioxidant and ferroptosis inhibitory effects make it a positive treatment in adjunctive therapy for neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's), cardiovascular diseases, and certain tumors. Multiple epidemiological studies support the association between β-carotene intake and reduced risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases, but clinical trial results remain controversial and require further high-quality randomized controlled trials for validation.
In the future, with the development of nanocarrier and liposome technologies, it is expected that the limitations of β-carotene's solubility and bioavailability will be overcome, enhancing its clinical efficacy. In addition, by combining genomics and metabolomics technologies, the study will further analyze the individualized metabolic differences and mechanisms of β-carotene, providing new ideas for precision nutrition and personalized treatment.
β-carotene, as an important natural carotenoid, has become a hot topic in natural product pharmacology research due to its unique chemical structure and strong bioactivity. Its key role in antioxidant damage, inhibition of ferroptosis, and vitamin A metabolism provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Although its strong hydrophobicity limits bioavailability, advances in extraction technology and drug delivery systems have broadened clinical prospects for β-carotene.
Future research should focus on in-depth analysis of its molecular mechanisms, optimizing dosage form design, and systematic evaluation of clinical efficacy, promoting the transformation of β-carotene from nutritional supplementation to disease prevention and treatment, thereby contributing greater value to human health.
