Responsable: Antonio Jesús Meléndez Martínez
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: 7º Programa Marco de la U.E.
Referencia: FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-2-ERG-224789
Web: http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/88075_en.html
Fecha de Inicio: 01-09-2008
Fecha de Finalización: 30-06-2012

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Comisión Europea

Contratados:

• Investigadores:
  • María Luisa Escudero Gilete
• Técnicos/Personal Administrativo:
  • Francisco José Rivero Granados

Resumen del proyecto:

The antioxidant activity (AA) of individual carotenoids has been much studied although data on possible interactions among them in mixtures are scarce. Since complex mixtures are ingested with foods, experiments addressing that question are needed. Thus, the assessment of the in vitro AA of extracts from carotenoid-rich staples will assist, through the application of statistical methods, in the design of model solutions to further study the existence of possible interactions among them.

The conclusions obtained are expected to help design in vivo studies and optimized mixtures for food fortification. Changes in the biosynthesis of carotenoids and concomitant changes in AA in oranges over ripening will be also surveyed. The results obtained will be useful for the objectives described above as they accumulate virtually all the carotenoids regarded as most important for human health (the provitamins A ±- and ²-carotene and ²-cryptoxanthin, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, Cara Cara oranges accumulating lycopene naturally). In addition, they will help understand the control of their synthesis in plants, since although such process are well-known biochemically, their regulation remains poorly understood.